INFLUENCE OF WATER STRESS ON FRUIT QUALITY AND YIELD OF STRAWBERRY CVS. 'MAEHYANG' AND 'SEOLHYANG'

Abstract

Quality characteristics and yield of 'Maehyang' and 'Seolhyang' strawberry cultivars, which have been registered in Korea, as affected by water stress (WS) was investigated. The total contents of carbohydrates (TC; fructose, glucose, and sucrose), organic acid (TOA; citric, malic, and oxalic acids) and antioxidants such as anthocyanin (AC), ascorbic acid (AA), and ellagic acid (EA) in the fruits were analysed. Yield of 'Seolhyang' was significantly greater than that of 'Maehyang' both in WS and control treatments. The yield of both cultivars decreased in WS treatments by 13.1 and 13.6%, respectively, in comparison with control treatments. In control treatments, TC, AC, and AA were greater, while TOA was inferior in 'Maehyang' than 'Seolhyang' throughout the experimental period. Since TOA increased in 'Maehyang' but decreased in 'Seolhyang', while TC did not change both in both cultivars, carbohydrate-organic acid ratio decreased in 'Maehyang' but increased in 'Seolhyang' in WS treatments. On the other hand, significant differences in AC, AA, and EA as affected by WS treatment were not found in both cultivars except that AC in both cultivars increased at the early starts of harvest. Results indicate that WS treatment is not an appropriate method to improve the quality without decrease in yield for strawberry cultivation even though the contents of antioxidants increased in an early period after being water stressed.