Abstract
Quality parameters are always of major importance in fruit sensory perception and they are influenced by the agriculture and environmental strategies of water-use efficiency that in the last few years are being developed due to water scarcity. Blueberry fruit quality depends on several factors, such as variety, water availability or cultivation system. The purpose of this work was to determine the effect of deficit irrigation and cultivation systems on the quality of three blueberry cultivars along two consecutive seasons. Three blueberry varieties (‘Rocio’, V2 and V3) were subjected to two irrigation regimes (100% and 80% crop evapotranspiration) and grown under two cultivation systems (open field and plastic tunnels). Their quality attributes (color, sugars, acidity, firmness, size and weight) were evaluated over two consecutive seasons (2011–2012). The application of deficit irrigation did not significantly affect the quality parameters, except for an increase in firmness. The cultivation system used influenced the quality attributes of blueberries cultivated under plastic tunnels in both seasons, increasing the soluble solids content and decreasing the titratable acidity. All the studied quality parameters were significantly affected by genetic factors. The V2 cultivar was the most influenced by the cultivation system. In conclusion, the use of deficit irrigation and plastic tunnels in blueberry cultivation is a good alternative to obtain fruits with enhanced quality features.
Highlights
The blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.), belonging to the Ericaceae family, is a perennial evergreen or deciduous shrub native to North America and is one of the most important berry cultivars that have been established in Andalusia in the last decade (>3400, 92.5% of total Spanish cultivation in 2018)with an annual production of 42,000 tons, reaching 97% of blueberry production in Spain in 2018 [1].A factor limiting the development of the crop is the wind, which causes fruit drop and produces scratches on the berries
In areas where water resources are already scarce or threatened, such as the Doñana National Park (Southwest Spain), where this research was performed, water deficit irrigation (DI) technique has been proposed as a potential alternative
The blueberries collected under the deficit irrigation regime (80% ETc) presented an increase in the firmness values, a parameter impacting positively on the post-harvest life of the fruits
Summary
The blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.), belonging to the Ericaceae family, is a perennial evergreen or deciduous shrub native to North America and is one of the most important berry cultivars that have been established in Andalusia in the last decade (>3400, 92.5% of total Spanish cultivation in 2018)with an annual production of 42,000 tons, reaching 97% of blueberry production in Spain in 2018 [1].A factor limiting the development of the crop is the wind, which causes fruit drop and produces scratches on the berries. The blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.), belonging to the Ericaceae family, is a perennial evergreen or deciduous shrub native to North America and is one of the most important berry cultivars that have been established in Andalusia in the last decade (>3400, 92.5% of total Spanish cultivation in 2018). With an annual production of 42,000 tons, reaching 97% of blueberry production in Spain in 2018 [1]. The flowering season should be free of frost periods and slightly acidic soils are required. It is a plant of ecological interest, for its fruit and because it protects the forest floor from erosion and contributes to the formation of humus.
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