Apricot
- Prunus armeniaca
Apricot, Prunus
armeniaca L., is a member of the Rosaceae family, along with
apple, pear, peach, and other stone fruits. The apricot is found in the Prunophora subgenus within Prunus along with plums. Hybrids
between plums and apricots have been
produced recently which are said to be finer fruits than either parent.
A "Plumcot" is 50% plum, 50% apricot; an "Aprium" is 75% apricot, 25%
plum; and the most popular hybrid, the "Pluot" is 75% plum, 25%
apricot.
Cultivars
'Blenheim' (syn. 'Royal')
is by far the major US cultivar, accounting for over 80% of production.
Others include: 'Tilton' , 'Wenatchee Moorpark' , 'Perfection',
'Earlicot' , and 'Autumn Royal'.
ORIGIN, HISTORY OF CULTIVATION
The center of diversity of the apricot is
northeastern China near the Russian border (in the Great Wall area).
From there it spread west throughout
central Asia. Cultivation in China dates back 3000 years. The Romans
introduced
apricots to Europe in 70-60 BC through Greece and Italy. Apricots
probably moved to the US through English settlers on the East Coast,
and Spanish Missionaries in California. For much of their history of
cultivation, apricots were grown from seedlings, and few improved
cultivars existed until the nineteenth century. Cultivars vary among
countries, and in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Syria,
a great deal of the production is from seedling orchards. Cultivation
in the USA was confined to frost-free
sites along the Pacific slope of California, due to early bloom but
relatively high chilling requirement, and fungal disease problems in
humid climates. Now, most of the production in California is in the San
Joaquin valley.
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World (2004 FAO) - 2,685,486 MT
or 6 billion pounds. Apricots are produced commercially in 63 countries
on about 988,000 acres. Production has been stable over the last
decade. Yields average 5980 lbs/acre, ranging from just a few thousand
pounds to over 15,000 lbs/acre in the some European countries.
|
Top 10 countries
(% of world production)
|
1. Turkey (21)
|
6. Spain (4)
|
| 2. Iran (10) |
7. Syria (4) |
| 3. Italy (8) |
8. Morocco (3) |
| 4. France (6) |
9. China (3) |
| 5. Pakistan (5) |
10. USA (3) |
United States (2004 USDA) - 91,545 MT or 2201 million lbs. Apricots have been valued at $26-48 million/year over
the last decade. Prices are relatively low, 19¢/lb, typical of
prices over the last decade. Apricots are produced commercially in 3
states (CA, WA, UT), with California accounting for 94% of the crop. In 2004,
California had 17,000 bearing acres of apricots, producing about 11,000
lbs/acre, for a value of $29 million. The USA exported 31% of production in 2002, mostly
as dried fruit, with fresh fruit about 1/3 of exports. Exports have
doubled since 1988. No import data are available, but small quantities
of fresh fruit are imported from the southern hemisphere countries like
Chile in winter months.
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Plant
Apricots are small to medium sized trees with
spreading canopies. They are generally kept under 12' in
cultivation, but capable of reaching 45 ft in their native range. The
one-year-old wood and spurs are thin, twiggy, and shorter lived than
those of other stone fruits. Leaves are elliptic to cordate, with acute
to acuminate tips, about 3" wide; wider than leaves of other stone
fruits. Leaves have serrate margins and long, red-purple petioles.
Flower
Flowers are similar in morphology to peach, plum,
and cherry. White flowers are borne solitary in leaf axils of 1-yr
wood, or in leaf axils on short spurs and appear to be in clusters.
There are 5 sepals and petals, many erect stamens, all of
which emanate from the hypanthium or floral cup. Ovary position is
perigynous.
Pollination
Major cultivars of the USA are self-fruitful and do
not require a pollinizer; exceptions include 'Riland' and 'Perfection'
which are self-incompatible. Honey bees are the major pollinator.
Fruit
A drupe, about 1.5"-2.5" wide, with a prominent
suture, yellow to orange ± red blush, having light pubescent or
a nearly glabrous surface. The pit is generally smooth,
enclosing a single seed. Flesh color is mostly orange, but a few
white-fleshed cultivars exist. Trees are fairly precocious, and begin
fruiting in their second year, but substantial bearing does not begin
until 3-5 years. Fruit is borne mostly on short spurs on mature, less
vigorous trees, but can also occur on long lateral shoots of vigorous
trees. Fruit require 3-6 months for development, depending on cultivar,
but the main harvest season is May 1 - July 15 in California.
Apricots are thinned by hand, leaving 1 fruit per 3-5" of shoot length.
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Soils and Climate
Deep, fertile, well-drained soils
Mild,
Mediterranean climates
Frost sensitive
Propagation
T- or chip-budded onto rootstocks
Rootstocks
Apricot seedlings are most common worldwide; 'Blenheim' in
California, 'Canino' in France, 'Hungarian Best' in Hungary. Peach seedling
rootstocks 'GF 305,' 'Lovell,' and 'Nemaguard' are used as well.
Planting Design, Training, Pruning
Apricots are planted in solid blocks if self-fruitful, at
spacings of up to 20-24 ft between trees and rows. They are trained as
open
center trees. Generally, all new growth and
interfering wood is removed each year, exposing the spurs to maximal
sunlight.
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HARVEST, POSTHARVEST HANDLING
Maturity
Apricots for fresh consumption are picked
firm-mature; firmness is a
reliable indicator, as for plums. Days from full bloom is a fairly
reliable index given the relatively invariable growing conditions in
California.
Harvest Method
Apricots for fresh consumption or processing are
picked by hand and carefully handled. Trees are usually picked over 2-3
times each, when fruit are firm. Trunk shaking can be used for
processed fruit, although apricots are said to be more susceptible to
trunk damage than other stone fruits.
Postharvest Handling
Fresh apricots are shipped in shallow containers to
prevent crushing/bruising. Dried apricots are harvested later (fully
ripe) than those for shipping, and exposed to SO2 to avoid
post-harvest
diseases. The drying ratio is 5.5:1 (lbs fresh fruit: lb dry
fruit). Drying is either natural, in the sun, or in large
dehydrators as with prunes. Canned apricots are immersed in syrup, at a
ratio of 0.7 lbs fresh = 1 lb canned.
Storage
Apricots have an extremely short shelf-life of only
1-2 weeks at 0° C and 90% relative humidity. They are susceptible
to all
post-harvest diseases (e.g., Rhizopus
fruit rot) to which other stone fruits are susceptible.
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Most of the US crop is not sold fresh; drying and
canning are popular options for apricots since they are so perishable.
Cultivars which retain their color and flavor during drying like
‘Royal' and ‘Tilton' are best for this market. Dried apricots can be
easily re-hydrated, and are particularly popular with backpackers. As
with plums, drying concentrates all nutrients several-fold. Per capita consumption is only 0.9 lb per year. In 2004,
the utilization was as follows:
Canned and juices - 23%
Fresh - 13%
Dried - 57%
Frozen - 5%
Dietary value, per 100 gram edible portion
|
Apricot |
Water (%)
|
85
|
| Calories |
51
|
| Protein (%) |
1.0
|
| Fat (%) |
0.2
|
| Carbohydrates (%) |
11-13
|
| Crude Fiber (%) |
2-3
|
|
% of US RDA* |
Vitamin A
|
54
|
| Thiamin, B1 |
2.1
|
| Riboflavin, B2 |
2.5
|
Niacin
|
2.3
|
| Vitamin C |
22
|
Calcium
|
2.1
|
Phosphorus
|
2.9
|
| Iron |
5.0
|
| Sodium |
--- |
| Potassium |
6.0
|
* Percent of recommended daily allowance set by FDA, assuming a 154 lb
male adult, 2700 calories per day.
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