Sensory and Storage Evaluation of Nectarine and White Peach Breeding Lines

Abstract

Promising white peach and nectarine selections, many with nonmelting flesh, from the Univ. of Arkansas breeding program were evaluated for fruit quality and flavor. About 20 kg of fruit, consisting of mature ripe and ripe stages, were harvested from 4- to 7-year-old trees in Arkansas and transported to Lane, Okla. Fruit were divided into two boxes per selection. One box was held at 5 °C for 8 days, then transferred to 20 °C for 4 days to induce chilling injury and was evaluated for storage quality. The other box was held at 20 °C for 4 days and fruit used for taste panels. Of the 14 nectarine and 12 white peach selections evaluated, one nectarine and four white peach selections had slight chilling injury. Flesh firmness of selections after storage ranged from 6 to 50 N. Taste panelist scores indicated that sweetness was associated with peach flavor in both nectarines and white peaches and that overall acceptability was dependent on sweetness, peach flavor, and low tartness. Ten of the white peach selections were equal to or better in overall acceptability compared to `Summer Pearl' and `Carolina Belle' cultivars included in the study. Panelists did not consider firm texture to be detrimental to overall acceptability. Results indicate that many of the breeding lines used in this study had fruit equal to or better than currently available cultivars in storage life, firmness, and sweetness.