Journal of Life Sciences 11 (2017) 141-144 doi: 10.17265/1934-7391/2017.03.004 Correlations among Important Fruit Quality and Plant Characteristics of Some Fig Genotypes A. Aytekin Polat and Oğuzhan Çalışkan Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Mustafa Kemal University, Antakya 31034, Hatay, Turkey Abstract: Experiments were carried to determine correlations of important fruit and plant characteristics using 30 fig genotypes. The correlation coefficients between these traits were calculated using SAS program. Fruit weight, fruit diameter, fruit length, neck length, ostiolium width, abscission of the stalk from the twig, ease of peeling, fruit skin cracks, thickness of the fruit skin, texture of skin, fruit ribs, fruit internal cavity, TSS (total soluble solids), pH, acidity, TSS/acidity, trunk diameter, shoot length, yield per tree were traits examined in the study. According to five-year data, fruit weight was found to have positive correlation by fruit diameter (r = 0.92; P < 0.01), fruit length (r = 0.81; P < 0.01), neck length (r = 0.35; P < 0.01), ostiolium width (r = 0.23; P < 0.01), trunk diameter (r = 0.26; P < 0.01), fruit skin cracks (r = 0.26; P < 0.01) and negative correlation by TSS (r = -0.26; P < 0.01) and fruit ribs (r = -0.21; P < 0.01). Relations between some traits such as ostiolium width, abscission of the stalk from the twig, ease of peeling, fruit skin cracks, texture of skin and fruit ribs are deviated based on the years. Some relationships between fig fruit characteristics exist, which may help researchers to solve some problems such as ostiolium width and fruit skin cracking. These studies may contribute to producing fruit with a good quality and help to evaluate new cultivars. Key words: Fig genotype, fruit quality, plant characteristic, correlation. 1. Introduction Being cultivated in many parts of Turkey, fig has accumulated a wide range of variability with respect to different quantitative traits. Information on genetic associations under a particular environment will help Fig (Ficus carica L.) is among the oldest fruits and is known to humans for long times [1]. Being a major fruit species in the region, fig is grown commercially in most of the countries on the coast of the Mediterranean. Turkey is the prime producer of dried and table fig in the world. Recently, there is increasing interest in exotic fruits from world markets [2]. Table figs are accepted as exotic fruits in western and northern European countries where they cannot be cultivated. Nevertheless, these countries are developing an increasing interest in fresh figs [3]. Therefore, there is competition not only between fig production countries but also between fig importing countries [4]. Corresponding author: A. Aytekin Polat, Ph.D., professor, research fields: horticulture, pomology and fruit breeding. in formulating the most effective breeding program and could simplify the selection approaches. The purpose of present studies was to determine of correlations between important fruit quality and plant characteristics of some fig genotypes. 2. Materials and Methods Eight cultivars (“Sarilop”, “Bursa Siyahi”, “Goklop”, “Yediveren”, “Yesilguz”, “Morguz”, “Sari Zeybek” and “Akça”) and 22 selections were included in the study. The cultivars are the most widely grown and the genotypes were selected from the Mediterranean Region of Turkey described in a previous study [5]. Fruit weight, fruit length, fruit width, neck length, ostiole width, TSS (total soluble solids), pH, acidity (%), TSS/acidity ratio, abscission of the stalk from the twig, ease of peeling, fruit skin cracks, fruit shape, the shape of the fruit stalk, the thickness of the fruit skin, the fruit internal cavity, trunk diameter, shoot length and yield per tree were determined. The correlation coefficients between these D DAVID PUBLISHING