Production, pomological and nutraceutical properties of apricot

Abstract

Apricot (Prunus sp.) is an important fruit crop worldwide. Despite recent advances in apricot research, much is still to be done to improve its productivity and environmental adaptability. The availability of wild apricot germplasms with economically interesting traits is a strong incentive to increase research panels toward improving its economic, environmental and nutritional characteristics. New technologies and genomic studies have generated a large amount of raw data that the mining and exploitation can help decrypt the biology of apricot and enhance its agronomic values. Here, we outline recent findings in relation to apricot production, pomological and nutraceutical properties. In particular, we retrace its origin from central Asia and the path it took to attain Europe and other production areas around the Mediterranean basin while locating it in the rosaceae family and referring to its genetic diversities and new attempts of classification. The production, nutritional, and nutraceutical importance of apricot are recapped in an easy readable and comparable way. We also highlight and discuss the effects of late frost damages on apricot production over different growth stages, from swollen buds to green fruits formation. Issues related to the length of production season and biotic and abiotic environmental challenges are also discussed with future perspective on how to lengthen the production season without compromising the fruit quality and productivity.

Keywords: Apricot kernel oil; Plum pox virus; Prunus armeniaca; Sharka; Spring frost; Stone fruit.

Fig. 1

Classification of the Rosaceae family. Most common genera and species of Rosaceae are shown according to Potter et al. (2007) and Shi et al. (2013). Subtribes were omitted for simplification purposes. The genomes of boxed species have been already sequenced

Fig. 2

Origin and dissemination of Apricot. Apricots originated on the region stretching from China-to-central Asia from which it has spread to Armenia and then into Europe alongside the “Silk Road”. It is supposed that apricot was introduced into Europe by two ways: by the Romans through the central Asia and by the Arabs through southern Europe (Faust et al. 1998)

Fig. 3

Apricot production worldwide from 1994 to 2014. a Top 10 countries producers, b production share of Apricots by continent. Source: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC/visualize Accessed 6 October 2018

Fig. 4

Critical temperatures of frost damages on apricot trees in  °C (celsius). 10% and 90% of flowers/buds/fruits will be killed after 30 min exposure during the indicated fruit developmental stages (from swollen buds to green fruit onset). Adapted from (Washington University data): http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1643&context=extension_curall. Accessed 6 October 2018