PATTERNS AND HERITABILITY OF CARBOXYLIC-ACIDS AND SOLUBLE SUGARS IN FRUITS OF APRICOT (PRUNUS-ARMENIACA L)

The investigation of acid and sugar content in an array of apricot cul tivars and progenies indicates the existence of marked variability. Ci tric acid varied from 0.17 to 1.20% and malic acid from 0.21 1.51% on fresh weight. Fructose varied from 0.27 to 1.60%, glucose from 0.90 to 3.13% and sucrose from 1.92 to 6.92%. The estimate of heritability wa s high for total and main sugars, reaching over 0.50%. Acids generally showed low coefficients, although those for citric (0.27) and malic ( 0.36) were good. With the exception of one progeny, all genotype/year comparisons were not significant, showing constant patterns for acid a nd sugars over the years regardless of the variability in absolute val ues. This means that the patterns of each genotype are under genetic c ontrol. The wide range of diversity in acid and sugar content in apric ot germplasm and the independent heritability for most of these compou nds make it possible to breed and select cultivars with improved flavo ur on the basis of superior phenotypes.