VARIATION IN FRUIT RIPENING AMONG RED RASPBERRY CULTIVARS

Changes during ripening in fruit weight, fruit retention strength and fruit firmness were evaluated for 8 red raspberry cultivars.
A visual classification of ripeness was superior to time from anthesis (anther dehiscence) in predicting fruit weight in 6 cultivars, in predicting retention strength in all cultivars, and in predicting firmness in 7 cultivars.
Fruit weight increased with increasing ripeness up to processing ripeness, and then decreased slightly at overripe.
Both retention strength and firmness declined as ripeness increased.
Cultivars did not differ significantly in fruit weight in any ripeness class.
Differences among cultivars in retention strength were reasonably consistent in all ripeness classes, although cultivar by ripeness interactions were detected.
Retention strength was highest in ‘Sumner’ in all ripeness classes, and lowest in ‘SCRI 6820–35’ in all ripeness classes except overripe.
Differences among cultivars in firmness were not consistent in all ripeness classes.
At early fresh market ripeness, ‘Sumner’ fruit were firmer than fruit of ‘Haida’, ‘Meeker’, ‘SCRI 6820–35’ or ‘Willamette’, all of which were firmer than ‘Malling Admiral’ fruit.
At processing ripeness, fruit of ‘Meeker’, ‘SCRI 6820–35’, ‘Sumner’ and ‘Willamette’ were comparable in firmness, and all were firmer than fruit of ‘Haida’ or ‘Malling Admiral’.

IV International Rubus and Ribes Symposium

Thomas M. Sjulin, J. Robbins

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1986.183.30