It's strawberry season in many parts of the U.S, and supermarkets are teeming with these fresh heart-shaped treats. Although the bright red, juicy fruit can grow almost anywhere with lots of sunlight, production in some hot, dry regions is a challenge. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Journal of Agricultural Food and Chemistry have identified five cultivars that are best suited for this climate, which could help farmers and consumers get the most fragrant, sweetest berries.
Most strawberries commercially grown in the U.S. come from California and Florida. With the expansion of local farmer's markets and people's excitement about fresh berries, growers in other states are trying to increase production. In Texas, for example, current commercial operations grow a few of the "day-neutral" and "spring-bearing" varieties that have a potentially high fruit output. But there are hundreds of options, including some that are more heat tolerant, and many factors to consider when choosing cultivars to grow that will produce strawberries appealing to consumers. So, Xiaofen Du and colleagues wanted to determine which ones grow well in Texas' semi-arid, hot environment and have the most desirable berry characteristics -- information that could help growers in similar climates.
The researchers grew 10 common strawberry cultivars in northwest Texas, comparing seven spring-bearing and three day-neutral varieties. First, they monitored plant growth and yields and found eight of the cultivars had plant survival rates of more than 96% before the first harvest. Overall, the day-neutral varieties had the lowest total berry weight per plant. Then, the team measured ripe berries' characteristics, including color, sugar content, acidity and aroma compounds. Their results showed red intensity was not linked to berry sweetness; in fact, the redder varieties had more citric acid, which made them taste more sour than sweet. Taste tests on berry purees showed that desirable flavors were related to the varieties' sugar content and 20 aroma compounds. Perhaps surprisingly, tasters ranked the two varieties that grew the fewest and smallest fruits as having the most intense flavors. The researchers concluded that five cultivars -- Albion, Sweet Charlie, Camarosa, Camino Real and Chandler -- can grow well in Texas' climate and have the best flavor and aroma.
###
The authors acknowledge funding from the Texas Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, the Texas Woman's University--Human Nutrition Research and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.
The abstract that accompanies this paper is available here.
The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS' mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world's scientific knowledge. ACS' main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.
修改评论