Investigating the ecological adaptability of Moroccan pomegranate ‘Sefri’: implications for productivity, growth patterns, and physiological responses

The aim of this study was to investigate the adaptability of the Moroccan pomegranate cultivar ‘Sefri’ to varying environmental conditions across distinct regions in Morocco. Through a comprehensive analysis encompassing fruit production, fruit physical and biochemical quality, vegetative growth and photosynthetic activity, we elucidate the genotype–environment interactions that underpin the adaptability of ‘Sefri’ to three geographical regions; ‘Ain Taoujdate’, ‘Khemisset’, and ‘El Hajeb’. The results revealed that the highest fruit yield (> 50 kg tree⁻¹) was observed in the ‘Khemisset’ station. However, the highest fruit weight, highest aril weight, and highest juice content were detected under the ‘Ain Taoujdate’ environmental conditions. Biochemically, the results induced that the fruits developed in the ‘El Hajeb’ station were characterized by the lowest total sugar (103.28 g GE l⁻¹) and amino acids (2.46 mg GlyE l⁻¹) compared to the fruits of the other stations. Furthermore, the highest values of the total polyphenols content and antioxidant activity were observed under ‘El Hajeb’ environmental conditions. In addition, a remarkable content of chlorophyll pigments was observed at the leaves of ‘Sefri’ at ‘Ain Taoujdate’ and ‘Khemisset’ stations, associated with a high leaf number and expanded leaf area. Conversely, the ‘El Hajeb’ station exhibited the lowest values for these traits, indicating stress conditions at this location. This inference was substantiated by elevated proline levels and heightened cuticular wax production, both recognized as indicative environmental stress indices. These results give us the opportunity to predict geographic regions that offer environmental conditions resembling those optimal for pomegranate cultivation. This may be useful for agriculture, species conservation, biodiversity, and natural resource management.