ABSTRACT Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is an economically important fruit crop of tropical and subtropical regions of the world. There has been enormous increase in area, production, and export worldwide over the past decades. But cracking of mature fruit is an important physiological disorder which causes great economic loss to pomegranate. As high losses as 65% have been reported in pomegranate. It is a general problem throughout its growing areas and among all varieties worldwide. Causes associated with fruit cracking may be improper irrigation, environmental factors, and nutritional deficiency, especially boron, calcium, and potash. Besides, it is also reported to be associated with high evapo-transpiration, low humidity, water imbalance, and sharp temperature fluctuation in day and night during fruit growth and development. The cracking is more evident when the fruits are at maturity stage. No single factor can be advocated as efficient enough in controlling fruit cracking. The behavior of fruit cracking in relation to internal fruit composition and quality characteristics, dynamics of water uptake, understanding on how water, gibberellins, abscisic acid, boron, calcium, and the cell wall biosynthesis interacts with fruit cracking, will offer a clearer insights in devising developmental strategies to reduce fruit cracking.

中文翻译：

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石榴果实开裂：程度、原因和管理——综述

摘要 石榴（Punica granatum L.）是世界热带和亚热带地区重要的经济水果作物。在过去的几十年里，世界范围内的面积、产量和出口都有了巨大的增长。但成熟果实的开裂是一种重要的生理障碍，给石榴造成了巨大的经济损失。据报道，石榴损失高达 65%。这是整个种植区和全世界所有品种的普遍问题。导致果实开裂的原因可能是灌溉不当、环境因素和营养缺乏，尤其是硼、钙和钾肥。此外，据报道，它还与水果生长发育过程中的高蒸腾量、低湿度、水分失衡和昼夜温差剧烈有关。果实处于成熟期时开裂更明显。没有任何一个因素可以被认为在控制果实开裂方面足够有效。果实裂果行为与果实内部成分和品质特征、吸水动力学、对水、赤霉素、脱落酸、硼、钙以及细胞壁生物合成与果实裂果相互作用的理解，将提供更清晰的见解制定发展战略以减少果实裂果。