Numerical Evaluation for Total Yield and Fruit Quality of Five LocalPrickly Pear Strains under El-Monofia Governorate Conditions

Abstract

Field work of this investigation was carried out during the two successive seasons of 2019 and 2020 on ten yearold commercial shrubs of the Egyptian prickly pear strains grown in sandy soil at 3 X 3 meters apart, in private orchard in ElMonofia Governorate, Egypt. The strains were evaluated relative to growth, yield and fruit quality. The obtained results could be summarized as follows:-The obtained results showed that, the highest value of cladodes properties and flowering characters expect flowering percentage and total yield were gained for fourth strain in both seasons. First strain produced the highest Flowering percentage and total yield followed by fourth strain while, the lowest values were gained for fifth strain and it ranged between (73.76 – 87.59% and 21.5 – 35.9 kg) in both seasons, respectively. Fruit weight and dimensions as well as seeds weight and number recorded the highest values by first strain followed by third strain while, the lowest values were gained for second strain followed by fourth strain and the fifth strain came intermediate. Concerning chemical parameters, the highest total sugar percentage ranged from 9.2 to 12.5 % and 10.9 to 13.8 % in the fruit pulp and peel and gained the highest percentage with third strain followed by second and first strains whereas, fifth and fourth strains recorded the lowest percentage without significant differences between them in both seasons, respectively. Reducing, non-reducing sugar percentage and pectin content in fruit pulp and peel as well as TSS % in pulp juice take similar trend of total sugar percentage. Second strain was recorded the highest TSS/acid ratio and ascorbic acid content followed by first strain while; the lowest values were gained by fourth and fifth strains. Total score for yield and fruit quality (100). First strain seemed to be the higher in the general evaluation score (96.4 unit) in the average of two seasons followed by third strain (90.87 unit) and fourth strain (89.68 unit) while, the lowest general evaluation score was gained by fifth strain (82.01 unit) followed by second strain (85.11 unit).