‘Ntoulia 1’ and ‘Ntoulia 2’ Cornelian Cherries (Cornus mas L.)

Abstract

Cornelian cherry is a minor fruit species that deserves some attention mainly as a result of its economic potential and environmental importance of its cultivation. ‘Ntoulia 1’ and ‘Ntoulia 2’ are two new Greek cornelian cherry cultivars, whereas ‘Electra’ and ‘Naoussa’ are new selected clones. The experiment was conducted in northern Greece for 2 consecutive years. Productivity and fruit weight of ‘Ntoulia 1’ were higher than ‘Ntoulia 2’. ‘Electra’ showed the highest fruit weight followed by ‘Ntoulia 1’, whereas ‘Naoussa’ and ‘Ntoulia 2’ showed lower fruit weight values. ‘Ntoulia 2’ showed the highest value of total soluble solids followed by ‘Ntoulia 1’ and ‘Electra’. Total titratable acidity did not differ between genotypes. In descending antioxidant capacity, the order was: ‘Ntoulia 2’ > ‘Electra’ > ‘Naoussa’ > ‘Ntoulia 1’. Total phenolics in fruits of the cultivar Ntoulia 2 were higher than ‘Ntoulia 1’ and ‘Electra’. Nitrogen, potassium, manganese, and zinc concentrations of ‘Electra’ were higher than the other genotypes, whereas boron concentration was lower. However, concentrations of phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium were not different between genotypes.