EFFECTED CULTURAL PRACTICES ON FRUIT QUALITY AND POLYPHENOLS CONTENT

Use of cultural practices and tunnels based on the local microclimate is a smart way to improve fruit quality and provide off-season fruits in order to get a higher economic return.
In this study, the effects were analysed of two plastic culture methods (plastic mulch and plastic mulch with row covers) and the commonly used matted-row system on fruit quality, as well as on agronomic characteristics, including yield and fruit weight.
Using plastic mulch with row covers accelerated fruit maturity by 6 to 9 d over the matted-row system.
Average fruit size was significantly larger with plastic mulch and plastic mulch with row covers than with the matted-row system, but there was no effect on total cumulative yield.
Plastic mulch with row covers increased the total phenolic content and total antioxidant capacity, but the effect diminished after mid harvest, probably due to decreasing differences between outside temperatures and temperatures under plastic mulch with row covers.

XXVIII International Horticultural Congress on Science and Horticulture for People (IHC2010): International Symposium on Berries: From Genomics to Sustainable Production, Quality and Health

S. Khanizadeh, M.T. Charles, C. Yu, S. Tao, L. Fan

strawberry, plastic culture, yield, fruit size, antioxidant capacity

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.926.56