The Yield, Fruit Quality and Some of Nutraceutical Characteristics of Saskatoon Berries (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.) in the Conditions of Eastern Poland

Ewa Szpadzik,Tomasz Krupa

doi:10.3390/agriculture11090824

Abstract

The Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.) is a prospective and increasingly popular species in Poland. Its main attributes are extremely valuable fruits, rich in anthocyanins with high antioxidant activity, which are very valuable in processing. Studies aimed at comparing the suitability for cultivation under the climatic and soil conditions of east Poland of the three Canadian cultivars of Saskatoon berry (‘Honeywood’, ‘Martin’ and ‘Pembina’), were conducted at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in 2017–2018. The study evaluated parameters such as yield and fruit quality, as well as the health-promoting value of the fruit. These studies revealed significant differences between the studied cultivars, both in yield and in fruit physicochemical properties, i.e., fruit mass and diameter, firmness, and soluble solids content, as well as in terms of the content of anthocyanins, flavonoids, and polyphenols. These differences were also found between years, which may indicate that the content of the abovementioned compounds is also influenced by annual climatic conditions.

Highlights

The Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.) has been cultivated in Poland for approximately 20 years, it is quite common in Canada and the northern regions of the USA [1]
The plant material used consisted of three Canadian Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia) cultivars: ‘Honeywood’, ‘Pembina’ and ‘Martin’ The research was conducted at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in 2017 and 2018
In an earlier experiment conducted in central Poland, after two years of yielding of a few cultivars of Saskatoon berry, the highest yield was found in the case of 2 clones and was 2.5–2.8 kg, while the lowest yield was observed in the cultivar ‘Pembina’ −0.4 kg/bush [30]

Summary

Introduction

The Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.) has been cultivated in Poland for approximately 20 years, it is quite common in Canada and the northern regions of the USA [1]. This plant belongs to the Rosaceae family and can be found in the form of both a tree and a bush, depending on the species. It tolerates the local climate well, is winter hardy, and it can grow in almost all types of soil, except marshy sites and sands that are too dry and barren [3]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion