Changes in pomological and antioxidant properties of nectarine fruits (cv. fantasia) sampled from different canopy positions

The present study was conducted in Battalgazi county of Malatya Province, Turkey in order to determine the effects of fruit canopy position within the tree on pomological traits and antioxidant properties of nectarine cv. Fantasia. For this purpose, the trees were divided into four directions of north, east, west and south ant then each direction divided again into two parts as bottom and top. Fruits at commercially maturity stage were sampled from eight canopy positions and coded as top-west (TW), top-south (TS), top-north (TN), top-east (TE), bottom-north (BN), bottom-east (BE), bottom-west (BW) and bottom-south (BS). Results indicated significant differences in all evaluated parameters except titrable acidity (TA). Fresh weight (FW), flesh firmness (FF) and total soluble solids (TSS) varied between 189.1 g – 215.3 g, 4.5 kg/cm2 – 5.9 kg/cm2 and 12.3% - 14.2%, respectively. Color values of L, a and bvaried between 31.4 – 35.9 16.3 – 18.4 and 22.5 – 25.5. Total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (AA) varied between 448.6 mg GAE/100 g FW – 525.4 mg GAE/100 g FW and 189.0 mmol TE/100 g FW – 441.7 mmol TE/100 g FW, respectively. According to overall evaluations, FW, TSS, L, a, b, TPC and AA values were higher while FF, pH and TA lower in concentration in the fruits located on the top of the canopy.