Water relation of apricot cultivars in ecological conditions of Vojvodina

Investigations were carried out in conditions without watering, with an average annual precipitation of 650 mm, and in vegetation period 300-400 mm. An experimental grove was founded in carbonate chernozem soil. Water relation was studied for apricot cultivars: Hungarian Best, Ambrosia, Kostyuzhenskiy, Krasniy Partisan, Masis, Roxana, New Jersey-19 and in perspective Novi Sad selections NS-2 and NS-3. From water relation parameters, water content in leaf and twigs (stem), leaf area, number of stomata and transportation rate on three dates (in the middle of June, in the middle of July and in the middle of August) were investigated. Results point to the presence of significant differences in investigated parameters between cultivars. Water content in leaf ranged from 67.9% (Kostyuzhenskiy) to 70.8% (Krasniy Partisan), and in sprout from 60.2% (Ambrosia) to 65.4% (Masis). The largest leaf area was in Ambrosia (37.0 cm(2)), and smallest was in Krasniy Partisan (19.0 cm2). Highest number of stomata on leaf was found in New Jersey-19 cultivar (739/mm(2)) and lowest in NS-3 (444/mm(2)). Transpiration rate ranged from 297 mg H2O/dm(2)/h (NS-2) to 621 mg H2O/dm(2)/h, being highest in June, middle ranged in August and lowest in July.