Yield, earliness and fruit quality of pepino clones and their hybrids in the autumn-winter cycle

The success of the pepino (Solanum muricatum aiton) as a new crop for inten sive horticultural areas relies on shortening the growing cycle and on secu ring a high standard of fruit quality. Irrigation with saline water and eth ephon sprayings could be useful in achieving these goals. Two consecutive p epino crops consisting of two hybrids and their four parents were grown in the autumn-winter cycle. Plants were irrigated with water having electrical conductivities of 3 or 8 dS m(-1) and full sized fruits were sprayed with ethephon at 0 or 500 mg l(-1). Salinity reduced yield and fruit size, altho ugh this effect was less important in the hybrids, which showed heterosis f or yield characters. Overall, yields and fruit size of hybrids irrigated wi th saline water were greater than in the parents irrigated with non-saline water. Ethephon had no effect on yield characters. Salinity and ethephon im proved earliness. In most clones combination of salinity and ethephon short ened the growing cycle by 1 month. Salinity improved fruit quality as it in creased the soluble solids content (SSC) and dry matter (DM) in all clones, and titratable acidity (TA) in some cases. Ethephon sprayings had no marke d effects on quality characters, except for parental clone 9-1 in which eth ephon treated fruits had a lower SSC and TA. Organoleptic tests conducted o n the best flavoured clones (0-8 and 6-10) showed that salinity improved fr uit aroma and flavour although not texture, while ethephon had no effects. Results show that irrigation with saline water and ethephon sprayings impro ve earliness and fruit quality without dramatic yield depressions, especial ly in the hybrid clones. (C) 1999 Society of Chemical Industry.