Agronomic and physicochemical fruit properties of ‘Big Top’ nectarine budded on peach and plum based rootstocks in Mediterranean conditions

• Rootstock had consistent effects in most of the agronomic and physicochemical fruit traits.
• Relationship between adaptability, development and fruit quality is demonstrated.
• Fruit quality components need to be considered in choosing the best scion-rootstock combinations.
• Adesoto, Replantpac and GF 677 induced good fruit quality traits based on phytochemical traits.
• Barrier and Cadaman could delay maturity based on fruit firmness, acidity and color.

Agronomic and physicochemical fruit properties of ‘Big Top’ nectarine were evaluated in the Ebro Valley (Zaragoza, Spain), under replant and heavy-calcareous soil conditions typical of the Mediterranean area. Fruits were harvested at commercial maturity from trees budded on four peach-almond hybrids (Prunus amygdalus × Prunus persica): Adarcias, Felinem, GF 677 and Mayor; two P. persica × Prunus davidiana hybrids: Barrier and Cadaman; two hexaploid plums: Adesoto (Prunus insititia) and Tetra (Prunus domestica); and one almond-plum hybrid (Prunus cerasifera × P. amygdalus): Replantpac. Significant differences among the different rootstocks were found for most of the fruit quality traits analyzed at harvest maturity. The average of the four years of study showed that the brightest (high L* value) and most red colored skin fruits (high a* and b* values) were found on GF 677, while the lowest b* and h were recorded on Tetra and Felinem, respectively. Adesoto, GF 677 and Replantpac induced good fruit quality traits based on anthocyanins, Vitamin C, relative antioxidant capacity and/or total phenolic content (TPC). GF 677 also showed higher values on cumulative yield (CY) and yield efficiency (YE), with no significant differences with Replantpac for CY and Adesoto for YE. Barrier and Cadaman seem to delay maturity of ‘Big Top’ fruits based on flesh firmness (FF), titratable acidity (TA) and CIELAB parameters, and showed lower TPC and anthocyanins, which could be partly explained due to their worst adaptation to calcareous soil conditions. Results from this study underlined the important relationships between plant adaptability and fruit quality traits.