Jujube and Loquat - Tropical and Subtropical Fruits: Postharvest Physiology, Processing and Packaging - page 584

Pakhtunkhwa (Abbasi et al., 2011). The Mediterranean
region of Turkey has the most suitable ecological condi-
tions for growing loquat. Turkey produced 7,347 metric
tons of loquat in 2008. Approximately 58.2% of Turkey's
loquat production in the west Mediterranean region is in
the province of Antalya ( ¸ elikyurt et al., 2011). The US
production of the loquat is limited to the states of Florida,
Hawaii, and California; much of this production is in home
orchards with no commercial value. Limited commercial
production has been identified in places such as Santa
Barbara and San Diego, California (Ogonowski, 2007).
Morton (1987) reported that the rainy season is best
for planting loquats; when planted on rich soil, normal
size trees should be set 25-30 ft (7.5-9 m) apart. In Tai-
wan, because of the hazard of strong typhoons, loquat is
grown as a minidwarf, no more than 3 ft (0.9 m) high
and wide (Morton, 1987). The dwarf trees greatly reduce
the labor of flower and fruit thinning, bagging, and, later,
harvesting and pruning. Generally, the loquat tree blooms
in the fall and fruits in early spring; however, in tropi-
cal climates, the tree may flower 2-3 times a year begin-
ning in July and set fruit mainly from the second flowering
(Morton, 1987).
The loquat fruit reaches maturity in 90 days from full
flower opening; determination of ripeness is not easy, but
it is important because unripe fruits are excessively acidic
(sour) exhibiting poor flavor. Fruits grow in loose clusters
and are round or oval in shape, weighing about 20-80 g
(Morton, 1987; Ding, 2004). Depending on the cultivar
type, full development of color is the best ripening index
for harvesting this fruit. Ding (2004) reported that loquats
harvested in the fully ripe stage have the optimum qual-
ity; however, in commercial situations, where transport and
shelf life are important considerations, fruit is typically har-
vested at the eating-ripe stage before becoming fully ripe.
Loquats are somewhat difficult to harvest because of the
thick, tough stalk on each fruit, which does not separate
readily from the cluster, and the fruits must be picked with
the stalk attached to avoid tearing the skin (Morton, 1987).
Different varieties of loquat with variable fruit size, color,
and flavor are available on the market; these differences are
mainly due to cultivar type, various quality parameters, and
harvesting time. Usually, loquat is sweet and pulpy with a
slight, pleasant acidic flavor.
A number of widely planted, named cultivars have been
classed as either 'Chinese' or 'Japanese' (Hussain et al.,
2007). A total of 251 cultivars have been reported in
China, followed by Spain (100), Japan (60), and Italy (16).
'Banhong,' 'Baiyu,' 'Caobao,' 'Dahongpao,' 'Dawuxing,'
'Guangrong,' 'Guanyu,' 'Jiefangzhong,' 'Longquan No.
1,' 'Luoyangqing,' 'Mogi,' 'Qingzhong,' 'Tanaka,' 'Ruan-

tiaobaisha,' 'Chonghong No. 3,' 'Zhuluobaisha,' 'Zhulu-
ohongsha,' and 'Zaozhong No. 6' are some of the loquat
cultivars reported for China (Lin, 2007). There are only four
major loquat cultivars in Spain, namely, 'Algerie,' 'Mag-
dal,' 'Golden Nugget,' and 'Tanaka' (Lin, 2007), with 'Al-
gerie' being the most popular one. There are dozens of
cultivars in Japan, many released through hybridization,
but three cultivars ('Mogi,' 'Tanaka,' and 'Nakasakiwase')
account for 95% of the total crop area. Although loquat is
a popular fruit in Pakistan, Hussain et al. (2007) reported
that advancement in cultivar development is limited, with
only two local cultivars, 'Surkh' and 'Sufaid,' grown com-
mercially.
Morton (1987) described a diverse range of loquat cul-
tivars grown in different regions of the world: 'Advance,'
'Blush,' 'Akko 1,' 'Akko 13,' 'Champagne,' 'Early Red,'
'Kusunoki,' 'Mizuho,' and 'Mogi' (Japan); 'Ahdar,' 'Ah-
mar,' Asfar,' 'Fire Ball,' 'Golden Yellow,' 'Large Agra,'
'Large Round,' 'Pale Yellow,' and 'Safeda' (India); 'Saint
Michel' and 'Tsrifin 8' (Israel); 'Glenorie Superb,' 'Herd's
Mammoth,' 'Swell's Enormity,' and 'Victory' (Australia);
Itaquera' (Brazil); and 'Golden Red' (United States).

Consumption trends
Loquat is eaten as a fresh fruit and mixes well with other
fruits in fresh fruit salads or fruit cups. In Japan, besides
fresh consumption, loquat is also canned in the pitted form.
Some other products made from loquat include jam and
jellies (Morton, 1987; Facciola, 1990). Occasionally, pit-
ted loquat fruit is sun-dried on a small scale in areas of
its production. In some countries, a shake made exclu-
sively from the seeds, having an aroma similar to apricot
kernel, is also available at roadside vendors. Johns and
Stevenson (1985) reported that due to the presence of
cyanogenic glycosides, bulk consumption may pose a risk
of cyanide poisoning. However, no instances of loquat-
related toxicity are reported in the literature, due probably
to the fact that the typical consumption of this fruit is sig-
nificantly a lot lower than most other major fruits.

Postharvest physiology and storage
Loquat fruit has a thin but tough skin. Ripe fruit flesh is
soft and juicy, varying in color from white to deep orange
(Ding, 2004). After harvest, the fruit is susceptible to decay,
mechanical damage, and moisture and nutritional losses
(Ding et al., 1998). Respiration rate of loquat is influenced
by temperature (Fig. 31.4) and decreases rapidly over the
first 4 days of storage. The respiration rate of fruit stored at
20 ◦ ,10 ◦ ,5 ◦ ,and1 ◦ C were 80.0, 30.6, 12.4, and 11.2 mg
CO 2 /kg/hr, respectively (Ding et al., 1998). The ethylene
production rates of loquat at different temperatures are also