Journal homepage: www.fia.usv.ro/fiajournal Journal of Faculty of Food Engineering, Ştefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Romania Volume XVIII, Issue 2 - 2019, pag. 97 - 104 BIOCHEMICAL AND POMOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FRUIT OF SOME COMMERCIAL MEDLAR CULTIVARS (Mespilus germanica L) GROWN IN BIJELO POLJE *Gordana ŠEBEK1, Valentina PAVLOVA2, Tatjana POPOVIĆ3 1Biotechnical Faculty, University of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro, [email protected], 2Faculty of technology and technical sciences, University St. Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, Republic of Macedonia, [email protected], 3Biotechnical Faculty, University of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro, [email protected] *Corresponding author Received 8th May 2019, accepted 28th June 2019 Abstract: This study described some biochemical and pomological parameters of fruits in 4 commercial medlar cultivars (‘Domestic medlar’, ‘Plovdivska’; ‘Royal medlar’; ‘Rasna’) grown in ecological conditions of Bijelo Polje (Montenegro) in the period from 2010 to 2012. Recording of biochemical parameters such as dry matter, total soluble solids, total acidity and pH was the most important segment of this research. The study also focused on comprised pomological traits such as fruit weight (g), fruit size (mm) and length (mm) and petiole length (mm). The values for fruit dry mater ranged from 26.2% to 28.8%, total soluble solid contents ranged from 20.45% to 22.25%, titrable acid contents ranged from 1.9% to 2.28%. The values for fruit weights ranged from 21.4g to 25.5g, fruit length ranged from 34.5mm to 38.4mm, fruit widths ranged from 31.5mm to 36.2mm, and petiole length ranged from 19.8mm to 23.2mm. Over the years of study, all researched cultivars had yields in the agroecological conditions of Bijelo Polje. The ‘Royal medlar’ cultivar is the cultivar we would recommend to producers, due to its fruit dry matter content of 28.2%, the total soluble solid contents of 22.25%, and the total titrable acid content of 2.28%. Moreover, the fruit mass was the highest for the ‘Royal medlar’ cultivar (25.5g). The length and width of the fruit in the same cultivar had also maximum values (38.4mm and 36.2mm, respectively), as compared to other researched cultivars. Keywords: ‘Royal medlar’, dry mater, soluble solid contents, titrable acid contents, fruit weights. 1. Introduction ‘German’ or ‘Germanic Medlar’ in the most of European countries. Until the The medlar (Mespilus germanica L.) is a seventeenth century, the medlar was the member of the Rosaceae family and is most important fruit crop. However, native to the eastern Mediterranean area. It interest in it gradually faded away, and was already cultivated about three later it was replaced by other, more thousand years ago in the Caspian Sea productive and undemanding crops. region of northern Iran [1]. Medlar Currently, medlar is grown quite rarely (Mespilus germanica L.) belongs to and, mainly, in botanical gardens or Rosaceae family, and it is called ‘Döngel’ in small farms. Mespilus germanica is or ‘Beşbıyık’ in Turkey, ‘Ezgil’ in indigenous to southwest Asia and Azerbaijan, ‘Bushmala’ in Georgia and possibly also southeastern Europe – from 97 Food and Environment Safety - Journal of Faculty of Food Engineering, Ştefan cel Mare University - Suceava Volume XVIII, Issue 2 – 2019 northern Turkey (some occurrence in (estuary of the River Kanjska to River Greece and on the Crimea) to the Lim) to the altitude of 2017m (Komovi Caucasus and Transcaucasus and the Mountain). The terrain of Bijelo Polje north-eastern part of Iran. municipality is following the direction of Its tree is generally 3-5 m tall, but it may River Lim flow, i.e. the north and reach nearly 8 meters. It is self-fertile and northwest direction. Larger and better- long-lived tree. It lives approximately 30- quality agricultural land is located on the 50 years. There are 100 year old trees in near proximity of the River Lim, and its UK as well. The flowers are white-pink tributaries [6]. and hermaphrodite. Flower buds are The municipality of Bijelo Polje has formed in May-June, and each bud has one average annual temperature of 8.9°C. The flower. Fruit shape may be variable. Fruits warmest period is during the months of are inedible during tree maturity stage June, July and August, with an average because of tannin content. It becomes temperature from 16.3°C to 18.1°C. The edible when the skin color becomes coldest period is during the months of chocolate brown. Medlar contains organic December and January, with an average acids, sugars, pectin, vitamin C, and small temperature from 0.1°C to -1.6°C. The amounts of vitamin A [2]. Medlar is a lowest daily temperatures on annual level climacteric fruit, and as such, important are around -3°C. The winter period is biochemical changes occur during the characterized with intense negative respiratory climacteric, just before the full temperatures, which can reach up to - maturation stage [1] .The medlar shows 27.6°C. The spring period is characterized better pest and climate resistance than most with low temperatures, which can be more other fruit species of landscaping than critical when it comes to fruit importance. production (late spring frosts). Namely, the Very large number of researchers in month of April was recorded in some years Europe studied the biochemical and with the lowest temperature of up to -8°C. pomological characteristics of medlar The average minimal temperature during cultivars [1-5]. April is -2.8°C for the Bijelo Polje The data for medlar trees in the territory of territory. Bijelo Polje (Montenegro) are not The annual precipitation level in Bijelo statistically processed, which refers to the Polje municipality is 893.7 mm/m2. The fact that the cultivation of this fruit cultivar maximum precipitation is occurring during is very low. We certainly wanted to make the period of October - December, while the existing situation less severe by the period with the lowest precipitation is presenting data for the quality of the fruits from June - August. The dominance of the of certain medlar cultivars, which are cold and rainy period over the warm and grown in smaller family orchards in the dry one is expressed in relation of 54% vs. territory of Bijelo Polje municipality. 46%. The materials of this study were 2. Matherials and methods commercial cultivars of medlar: ʽDomestic medlar’, ʽPlovdivska’, ʽRoyal medlar’ Bijelo Polje is situated between 43° and (Fig. 1.) and ʽRasna’ grown in ecological 43°5′ north latitude and 19°40′ and 19°50′ conditions of Bijelo Polje (Montenegro) in east longitude. The municipality of Bijelo the period from 2010 to 2012. Polje is situated at the altitude from 520m Gordana ŠEBEK, Valentina PAVLOVA, Tatjana POPOVIĆ, Biochemical and pomological characteristics of fruit of some commercial medlar cultivars (Mespilus germanica L) grown in Bijelo Polje, Food and Environment Safety, Volume XVIII, Issue 2 – 2019, pag. 97 – 104 98 Food and Environment Safety - Journal of Faculty of Food Engineering, Ştefan cel Mare University - Suceava Volume XVIII, Issue 2 – 2019 Fig. 1. Royal medlar tree Fig. 2. Royal medlar fruit These researches were conducted on a determined by drying at 105°C. The total larger number of private production soluble solid content was determined by orchards, which are in near proximity one refractometer. The acidity was measured from another and are all situated within the by titration with 0.1 N NaOH. The fruit territory of Bijelo Polje. All cultivars were weight was determined by measuring by grafted on the vegetative rootstocks quince the electric scale Metler 1200. The result Ba-29.The orchards were of mixed type, was shown in grams with the accuracy of and the trees of researched cultivars were 0.01g. Fruit dimensions - length and width with average age of 7-10 years, and were were measured by Vernier scale. in the fruiting period. When it comes to agro-technical measures, winter cutting 3. Results and discussion and winter spraying were applied. The study focused on few segments. The The results of biochemical and first one included recording of biochemical morphological characteristics of fruits of traits - dry matter, total soluble solids, pH, researched medlar cultivars are shown in and total acidity. The second segment Table 1 and Table 2. Fruit dry mater, total comprised pomological traits [fruit weight soluble solids, pH and titrable acid content (g), fruit diameter (mm), fruit length (mm), of four medlar cultivars are shown in Table petiole length (mm)]. The dry mater was 1. Table 1. Biochemical characteristics of fruit of some commercial medlar cultivars (average 2010-2012) Medlar cultivar Fruit dry mater (%) Total soluble pH total solids(%)(TSS) (0 -14) acidity(%)(TA) Domestic medlar 26.20 20.45 3.59 2.20 Plovdivska 27.80 21.82 3.40 2.26 Royal medlar 28.80 22.25 3.86 2.28 Rasna 27.25 21.60 3.57 1.90 LSD 0.05 1.09 1.01 0.28 0.18 LSD 0.01 1.70 1.28 0.37 0.29 Gordana ŠEBEK, Valentina PAVLOVA, Tatjana POPOVIĆ, Biochemical and pomological characteristics of fruit of some commercial medlar cultivars (Mespilus germanica L) grown in Bijelo Polje, Food and Environment Safety, Volume XVIII, Issue 2 – 2019, pag. 97 – 104 99 Food and Environment Safety - Journal of Faculty of Food Engineering, Ştefan cel Mare University - Suceava Volume XVIII, Issue 2 – 2019 The values for fruit dry mater ranged from and the effect of the different agro 26.2% (Cv.‘Domestic medlar’) to 28.8% ecological conditions, where the cultivars (Cv.‘Royal medlar’); total soluble solid are grown. contents ranged from 20.45% Significant variation in chemical and (Cv.‘Domestic medlar’) to 22.25% morphological characteristics of fruit were (Cv.‘Royal medlar’); pH ranged from 3.40 recorded among cultivars of different fruit (Cv.‘Plovdivska’) to 3.86 (Cv.‘Royal species, such as apple [9],plum [10], pear medlar’); titrable acid contents ranged [11-12] and sour cherry [13], which were from 1.90% (Cv.‘Plovdivska’) to 2.28% all grown in conditions of Bijelo Polje (Cv.’Royal medlar’).