Effect of Irrigation on Cracking of Pomegranate Fruits (French Variety)

• Published in: International research journal of innovations in engineering and technology 2021-02, Vol.5 (2), p.24-33
• Main Authors: DRAIE, Dr. Rida, ABORAS, Ali
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cracking (fracturing); Discoloration; Flowering; Fruits; Irrigation; Pomegranates; Ripening
• ISSN: 2581-3048; 2581-3048
• DOI: 10.47001/IRJIET/2021.502005

Fruit cracking is one of the most important problems faced by pomegranates, which cause great damage to the crop, amounting to more than 60%. The French pomegranate variety is one of the varieties cultivated in northern Syria, which is highly vulnerable to this problem. The research was carried out in the 2018-2019 agricultural season in a field planted with pomegranate trees at the age of 10 years and dimensions 4x4 m, to study the effect of irrigation in reducing fruit cracking. The experiment was conducted according to a complete randomized block design. The experiment included three irrigation treatments: irrigation once after the beginning of flowering, irrigation twice after the beginning of flowering and after the completion of the fruit contract, and irrigation for three times after the beginning of flowering, after the completion of the fruit contract and after the beginning of the fruit discoloration, in addition to the treatment of the control without irrigation. The results showed high sensitivity of the French pomegranate variety to the fruit cracking (73.96%). All irrigation treatments outperformed the control treatment in most of the studied characteristics (early flowering and ripening time, enhancing the percentage of fruit-set, improving the quality of fruits, increasing the productivity). The rise in the number of irrigation times reduced the percentage of fruit cracking compared to the control, while the percentage of cracking of fruits reached 34.06%, 27.37%, 20.24%, in the treatment of irrigation once, twice, and three times, respectively.