2019 ASHS Annual Conference

Pomegranate is a drought and salt tolerant crop and its fruit contain high levels of antioxidants that have many health benefits. Pomegranate has potential to be an alternative crop in areas where water availability is limited, such as west Texas. However, more than 500 different pomegranate varieties are estimated to exist worldwide. Little is known about which varieties are suitable to grow in the west Texas region. The objective of this research was to evaluate the performance of 22 varieties of pomegranate over three years (2016-2018) in a field trial in west Texas. Yearly data included phenology, yield, biochemical analysis, and biotic and abiotic stress resistance. There were significant variety differences for many response variables indicating high diversity among the 22 varieties tested. There were also significant effects for year indicating seasonal variation and continued maturation of the trees in the field plot. Results showed varietal differences in leaf budding but not anthesis and indicated that breaking dormancy could differ by as much as 10 days between varieties. Yield and fruit count results show differences in performance between varieties indicating that some varieties are suitable to grow in the west Texas region while others are not. Biochemical analysis of the fruit juice showed varietal differences in sugar content measured in BRIX which ranged from 14% to 17% but no significant differences were found in phenolic and antioxidant concentrations, although less than three years of data was available for these latter measurements. Varietal differences were observed for fruit split, sunburn, and fruit rot (heart rot), indicating that some varieties are more resistant to abiotic and biotic stress than others.