Variability components and heritability of pomological and chemical characteristics in sour cherry clones of cultivar Montmorency

Abstract

In 12 sour cherry clones of cultivar Montmorency 5 pomological (fruit length, fruit width, fruit weight, stone weight and fruit stem length) and 4 chemical characteristics (soluble solid content, total acid content, invert sugar content and total sugar content) were investigated. Based on results of analysis of variance for all examined characteristics, variability components, coefficients of genetic and phenotypic variation and coefficient of heritability in a broader sense were calculated. Considering components of total variability, year represented the component that caused variability of majority examined characteristics in the highest percentage. Coefficients of genetic variation showed that in investigated clones total acid content varied the least (CVg = 1.79%), and the most fruit weight (CVg = 11.41%). The lowest phenotypic varying was determined for fruit length (CVf = 4.01%) but the highest for fruit weight (CVf = 13.86%). Coefficient of heritability was the highest for stone weight (h2 = 70.27%), and the lowest for total acid content (h2 = 7.73%).