







































Agriculture and Food 

Sciences Research 
ISSN(E) : 2411-6653  
ISSN(P) : 2518-0193 
Vol. 3, No. 2, 75-79, 2016 
http://www.asianonlinejournals.com/index.php/AESR 
 

 
 

 

 

75 

 

Fruit Growth Characteristics of Rose Hips (Rosa sp) 

 
Ümit Dölek1

    

Mehmet Güneş2     

 

 
( Corresponding Author) 

 

1Gökhöyük Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School,05100, Amasya, Turkey 
2Department of Horticulture, Agricultural Faculty, Gaziosmanpaşa University, 60240-Tokat, 
Turkey 

 
Abstract 

This study was carried out to determine the fruit growth characteristics of two rose hip (Rosa) species 

selected from wild population in Tokat region of the Northern Anatolia, Turkey. Shrubs were propagated 

by cuttings and planted in 2000 at the Research Station of the Horticultural Department of Agricultural 

Faculty of Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat, Turkey. Fruit weight, fruit diameter, fruit length, fruit flesh 

percentage and seed weight of genotypes belonging Rosa dumalis and Rosa jundzillii were investigated 

in the study. Fruit samples were picked up weekly from full flowering to optimal harvest time for 

measurement and weighing. As a result, fruit development characteristics of species measured exhibited 

single sigmoidal curve except seed weights. In general, developing of measured properties were fast 

until last 3-4 weeks, then became stable or slightly decreased. Results obtained in 2011 were higher than 

the results obtained in 2010 in both genotypes.    
 

Keywords: Rosa, Fruit growth, Sigmoid, Curve, Fruit diameter, Fruit flesh 

 

Contents 
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................... 76 

2. Material and Methods ............................................................................................................................................................... 76 

3. Results and Discussion .............................................................................................................................................................. 76 

4. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................................................. 79 

References ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 79 

 

 
Citation | Ümit Dölek; Mehmet Güneş (2017). Fruit Growth Characteristics of Rose Hips (Rosa sp). Agriculture and Food Sciences Research, 3(2): 75-79. 
DOI: 10.20448/journal.512/2016.3.2/512.2.75.79        

ISSN(E) : 2411-6653 

ISSN(P) : 2411-6653 
Licensed:  

Contribution/Acknowledgement: 
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License  

All authors contributed to the conception and design of the study. 
Funding: This study received no specific financial support. 

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests. 

Transparency: The authors confirm that the manuscript is an honest, accurate, and transparent account of the study was reported; that no 
vital features of the study have been omitted; and that any discrepancies from the study as planned have been explained. 

History: Received: 2 November 2016/ Revised: 25 November 2016/ Accepted: 3 December 2016/ Published: 7 December 2016 

Ethical: This study follows all ethical practices during writing.   
Publisher: Asian Online Journal Publishing Group 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Agriculture and Food Sciences Research, 2016, 3(2): 75-79 

76 

 

 

1. Introduction 
Growth, most commonly, means an irreversible increase in size [1]. Growth is occurred by dividing and 

increasing of cells. Therefore, increasing and dividing of cells are two important processes for fruit development 

during growing period. Fruit development begins from full blooming and continues to harvest time. The developing 

young fruit uses nutrient from plant at the first stage of growth period. Then, fruit partly produces own energy 

requirement by photosynthesis. But this production is not enough for optimal fruit development. That’s why, young 

fruit continues to feed from plant at the all stages of development and maturation processes [2]. Fruit growth is 

influenced by some genetic factors such as cultivar/variety, rootstock, age, biennial bearing, the position of the 

flower on spur, cultural factors such as pruning, defending against pests, thinning, irrigation and nutrition, exogenous 

hormone applications and environmental factors such as temperature, light, soil, moisture, wind and gases [3]. The 

length of developing period may be short or long depending on fruit species. The length of this period varies from 

ten to twenty-week for many deciduous fruit species. For example, this period is sixty-week for Valencia orange cv. 

while it is only three-week for strawberries. During the developing period fruit volume increases several times when 

compared with its initial weight and volume [4, 5].   

Some parameters, such as fruit fresh/wet weight, fruit volume increasing, fruit diameter etc. are used for 

determination of fruit development. Selected properties are measured from full blooming to harvest time for a certain 

time intervals. Developing rate varies during fruit growing period depending on some factors. Fruit development is 

expressed by growth curves. Growth curve shapes can change related to species/cultivars, ecological conditions, and 

cultural practices.  Fruit species are divided two main groups related to growth curve shapes as single and double 

sigmoid. Apple, pear, orange, banana, strawberry, avocado, mango, etc. show single sigmoidal curve. Peach, apricot, 

cherries, olive, currant, grape, fig, raspberry, blackberry etc. show double sigmoidal curve. Some researches [3, 6, 7] 

were conducted on development of mentioned fruit species but there is no research on rose hip fruit development.  

Understanding of fruit development helps us to use of fertilizing management, pruning, growth regulators, fruit 

thinning and shedding fruit weight, fruit diameter, fruit length and fruit flesh ratio, and size prediction [5, 8]. It is 

desirable that the growth progress of plant know under orchard conditions in real time for many practical reasons. 

While on the one hand growers may better fine-tune management practices, on the other hand, the ability to forecast 

average fruit weight at harvest is of great value for markets [9].  In light of this information, the aim of this study is 

to determine the fruit growth by measurement of some pomological characteristics of two rose hip species.  As far as 

we know that this is the first study conducted on fruit growth characteristics of rose hips. 

 

2. Material and Methods 
This study was carried out on two selected rose hip genotypes belonging to Rosa dumalis (Accession Number: 

AR-11) and Rosa jundzillii (Accession Number: YL-04), grown in the research station of the Horticultural 

Department of Agricultural Faculty of Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat, Turkey, during two years (2010 and 2011). 

Accessions were selected from wild rose hip population in the Tokat region of the Northern Anatolia [10]. 

Shrubs were propagated by hardwood cuttings and planted on their own roots at a spacing of 3 x 3 m in the 

research and treatment  station in 2000. The soil texture of area is silty clay, and pH is slightly alkaline. The rose hip 

bushes were pruned in January or February (dormant period) of each year with removal of dry, old or low shoots. 

The plants were fertilized with mineral nutrients and manure together with drip irrigation at regular intervals during 

the vegetation period. Mean fruit weight (g), fruit diameter and length (mm), fruit flesh percentage and seed weight 

(g)  of studied species were measured.  

Fruits were randomly sampled from each shrub. The fruit and seed weight and flesh ratio, and diameter and 

length values of the fruits were examined in order to form growth curves. Physical characters were measured weekly 

in 2010 and 2011 from full bloom to optimal harvest time. 30 fruits with three replicates per species were measured 

or weighed for determination of growth curves of each studied physical character.  

 

3. Results and Discussion 
Growth curves of the species and the years associated with studied characteristics were presented in Figure 1a-d, 

2a-d, 3a-d, 4a-d and 5a-d.  

A linear fast growth was recorded in fruit weights of species in both years from full bloom to last 3-4 weeks. 

Growth during last 3-4 weeks was stable or decreased slightly. Fruit weights of both species were higher in 2011 

than 2010 (Figure 1a,b,c,d). 

 

  

Figure-1a. Fruit weight developing of R.dumalis in 2010-2011 Figure-1b. Fruit weight developing of R. jundzillii in 2010-2011 

Source: Unpublished Data Source: Unpublished Data 



Agriculture and Food Sciences Research, 2016, 3(2): 75-79 

77 

 

 

 

 

Figure-1c. Fruit weight developing of R.dumalis  and R. jundzillii  

in 2010 

Figure-1d. Fruit weight developing of R.dumalis  and R. jundzillii in 

2011 
Source: Unpublished Data Source: Unpublished Data 

 

 

Velocity of fruit flesh were similar in both species and years  (Figure 2a,b). Fruit flesh percentage of Rosa 

dumalis was higher than Rosa jundzillii in both years (Figure 2c,d). 

 

 

Figure-2a. Fruit flesh ratio developing of R. dumalis  in 2010- 2011 Figure-2b. Fruit flesh ratio developing of R. jundzillii in 2010-

2011 
Source: Unpublished Data Source: Unpublished Data 

 

 

Figure-2c. Fruit flesh ratio developing of R.dumalis  and R. jundzillii in 

2010 
Figure-2d. Fruit flesh ratio developing of R.dumalis and R. 

jundzillii  in 2011 
Source: Unpublished Data Source: Unpublished Data 

 

Fruit diameter growth of R. dumalis were fast in the beginning weeks in both years (Figure 3a). Fruit diameter of 

R. jundzillii in 2011 were faster and more regular than 2010 (Figure 3b). Fruit diameter of R. dumalis was higher 

than R. jundzillii in 2010 (Figure 3c) but were similar and closer in 2011 (Figure 3d). 

 
 

 

 
Figure-3a. Fruit diameter developing of R. dumalis in 2010-2011 Figure-3b. Fruit diameter developing of R. jundzillii in 2010-2011 
Source: Unpublished Data Source: Unpublished Data 



Agriculture and Food Sciences Research, 2016, 3(2): 75-79 

78 

 

 

 
 

Figure-3c. Fruit diameter developing of R.dumalis and R. jundzillii in 

2010 
Figure-3d. Fruit diameter developing of R.dumalis and R. 

jundzillii in 2011 
Source: Unpublished Data Source: Unpublished Data 

 

Fruit length developments of R. dumalis and R. jundzillii were higher and more regular in 2011 than 2010 

(Figure 4a and Figure 4b). Fruit size development of R. dumalis showed a faster improvement (Figure 4c) in 2010 

when species compared. However, a closer or similar development occurred in 2011 (Figure 4d). 
 

 
 

Figure-4a. Fruit length developing of R. dumalis in 2010-2011 Figure-4b. Fruit length developing of R. jundzillii in 2010-2011 
Source: Unpublished Data 

 

Source: Unpublished Data 

  

Figure-4c. Fruit length developing of R.dumalis and R. jundzillii in 

2010 
Figure-4d. Fruit Length developing of R.dumalis and R. jundzillii 

in 2011 
Source: Unpublished Data Source: Unpublished Data 

 

Seed weight of genotypes exhibited an irregular development depending on year and species (Figure 5a,b,c,d). 

 

 
 

Figure-5a. Seed weight developing of R. dumalis in 2010-2011 Figure-5b. Seed weight developing of R. jundzillii in 2010-2011 
Source: Unpublished Data Source: Unpublished Data 



Agriculture and Food Sciences Research, 2016, 3(2): 75-79 

79 

 

 

 
 

Figure-5c. Seed weight developing of R.dumalis and R. jundzillii in 2010 Figure-5d. Seed weight  developing of R.dumalis and R. jundzillii 

in 2011 

Source: Unpublished Data Source: Unpublished Data 

 

Measured properties of R. jundzillii in the second year were higher than the result of the first year as determined 

for R. dumalis. It was concluded that the fruit load per bush and ecological conditions affected the fruit weight and 

other parameters. As a matter of fact, fruit growth is influenced by some genetic, cultural and environmental factors 

[3]. The fruit growth of persimmon indicated that fresh weight measurements exhibit the general sigmoid curve 

pattern for a typical botanical berry, with only slight deviation Schroeder [8]. Filiz [6] investigated the weight, 

volume and size developing of peach from full bloom to harvest. In the growth rate of measured characteristics 

occurred rapid increase during the initial weeks, but towards to the last weeks this rate continued to decrease. Öz [7] 

reported that fruit diameter and length of kiwifruit increased rapidly in first 4-5 weeks but developing rate decreased 

gradually after that time.  

Growth investigations of various fruits based on diameter, weight or volume indicate that each botanical fruit 

type exhibits a characteristic mode of development, depending somewhat upon its basic morphology. Thus the stone 

fruits, as typified by the peach or cherry, follow a general pattern of dimensional growth which consists of three 

rather distinct periods from flower to mature fruit. Rapid growth of all tissues characterizes the first period. Very 

little grown can be detected during the second or “rest” period during which the endocarp hardens. The third period 

is marked by a very rapid increase in size as fruit maturity is approached. The apple and pear, pomes, exhibit a 

different type of dimensional growth, which is nearly constant in rate during the entire period of fruit development. 

Citrus fruits, such as lemon or orange, each of which is morphologically a specialized berry, the hesperidium, 

exhibits a continuous increase in volume throughout the season, provided water is available. Shrinkage of citrus 

fruits may occur during the growing season when a water deficit occurs within the plant. The fig, morphologically a 

fleshy receptacle which contains many true botanical fruits, achenes, follows the growth pattern of the stone fruits 

with two periods of size increase based on diameter measurements. The olive, a drupe, however, has three periods of 

increase in volume. Fresh fruit weight and fruit length increases in the pericarp of the date, a berry, are represented 

by simple "S" curves which reach a maximum in late summer, sometime before full fruit maturity, and fall off as 

maturity is attained [8]. While the rose hip is similar in some of the trends exhibited by these fruits, it is distinct in 

others.  

 

4. Conclusion  
 It can be stated that fruit growth characteristics of species measured exhibited the single sigmoidal curves in two 

years except seed weights. Seed weight growth curves formed the irregular patterns depending on year and species. 

Developing rate of fruit weight, fruit diameter, fruit length and fruit flesh ratio were fast up to last 3-4 weeks. Results 

of two species obtained in 2011 were higher than the results of 2010, in general. This means that fruit development 

characteristics can be affected by environmental factors as well as genetic and maintenance conditions. 
 

References 
[1] F. B. Salisbury and C. W. Ross, Plant physiology, 4th ed. California, USA: Wadsworth Publishing Company Belmont, 1992. 

[2] I. Karaçalı, Storaging and marketing of horticultural crops, 4th ed. İzmir, Turkey: Ege University Agricultural Faculty Publications 

No: 494, 2004. 

[3] E. Atay, L. Pırlak, and A. N. Atay, "Determination of fruit growth in some apple varieties," Journal of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 16, 

pp. 1–8, 2010. 

[4] A. N. Miller, C. S. Walsh, and C. D. Cohen, "Measurement of indole-3-acetic acid in peach fruits (Prunus Persica L. Batsch cv 

Redhaven) during development," Plant Physiology, vol. 84, pp. 491–494, 1987. 

[5] M. N. Westwood, Temperate zone pomology: Physiology and culture, 3rd ed. Oregon, USA: Tımber Press, 1995. 

[6] A. Filiz, "Evaluation of various indicators of maturity for harvest of the some peach (Prunus Persica L.) cultivars in Tokat Province," 

PhD Thesis Gaziosmanpaşa University, Natural and Applied Science Institute, Tokat, Turkey, 2004. 

[7] A. T. Öz, "Effects of controlled (CA) and normal atmosphere (NA) storage on ethylene biosynthesis in Hayward (Actinidia 

Deliciosa) kiwifruits harvested at different periods," PhD Thesis Uludağ University, Natural and Applied Science Institute, Bursa, 

Turkey, 2006. 

[8] C. A. Schroeder, "Fruit growth in the oriental persimmon," California Avocado Society, 1960 Yearbook, vol. 44, pp. 130-133, 1960. 

[9] G. Costa, M. Noferini, F. Bucchi, and L. Corelli-Grappadelli, "Methods for early forecasting apple size at harvest," Acta 

Horticulturae, vol. 363, pp. 651–659, 2004. 

[10] M. Güneş, "A research on improvement of rose hips (Rosa spp.) by selection and propagation with cuttings, wild grown in Tokat 

Province," PhD Thesis Yuzuncu Yil University, Natural and Applied Science Institute, Van, Turkey, 1997. 

 

 
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