Speakers

Biography

I hold a PhD in Plant Biology and Biochemistry. My doctoral research focused on the "Pomological and chemical diversity of the pomegranate tree cultivated in Morocco and the effect of water deficit on fruit quality". This degree was awarded by the Faculty of Science and Technology at Sultan Moulay Slimane University in Beni Mellal, Morocco. During my doctoral thesis, my practical work was conducted at the national agronomic research institute in Meknes for 3 years.

Abstract

The physical and chemical characteristics response of the two varieties of pomegranate

(Punica granatum L) Sefri and Wonderful to change of fruit age (5,10,13,22 and 36 years) and to three fractions of crop evapotranspiration; 50% ETc, 70% ETc and 100% ETc, aged 5 years was determined.

The effect of water deficiency on the quality of pomegranate fruit varies according to its

intensity and variety. In the Sefri variety, water deficiency induces an overall deterioration in fruit quality, even at a moderate intensity of 70% ETc. The effects are very considerable on this variety under a hydrous regime of 50% ETc, marked by decreases in fruit size, juice

density, sweetness of the juice (°Brix) and increases in acidity and dry matter of the arils.

The only positive effect of water stress on the quality of the juice of this variety is the increase in the red coloration intoncity of the juice by increasing the values of a*, b* and c* concentration of water-soluble tannins. In the Wonderful variety, the hydric deficit at the threshold of 50% ETc does not affect neither the size of its fruit nor the sweetness and not the pH of its juice. However, a moderate deterioration of the fruit quality for this variety is noted concerning the decrease in juice density as well as the increase in the dry matter of the arils.

For both cultivars, the fruit harvested in 2018 shows more deterioration of physical quality compared to the 2017 and 2009 harvest years, notably fruit weight, lower arils weight and higher seed weight. On the other hand, the content of certain biochemical compounds (antioxidant capacity, flavonoids, anthocyanins, proteins, water-soluble tannins) is the lowest in 2009.

The results of the effect of age on the quality of the fruit in both varieties of pomegranate, show an influence for the majority of parameters for both cultivars by the existence of decrease in quality for the Sefri variety including the decrease in weight, fruit sweetness (°Brix), flavonoids, proteins and water-soluble tannins for fruit older than 22 years. However, for the Wonderful variety, no deterioration was noted due to the growth of the majority of the quality parameters essentially at the age of 22 years of its fruit but that it exists at the age of 36 years.

The climate as well as the age of the fruit play a direct but also indirect role by influencing many other characteristics of the cultivar and even of the species. The media coverage of these and other effects studied on more cultivars have the merit of bringing back to the forefront.