YIELD AND QUALITY EVALUATION OF SEVEN STRAWBERRY CULTIVARS IN EASTERN OKLAHOMA

Abstract

Seven different quality attributes were assessed during the early, middle and late phases of harvest for years 1990-1992: marketable berry yield, berry weight, berry firmness, berry color (tri stimulus chromameter “a” value), percent soluble solids, percent titratable acidity (percent cinic acid) and the ratio between soluble solids and titratable acidity. Marketable berry yield was influenced by harvest year, harvest season and cultivar. Berry weight varied substantially between cultivars and between seasons. Berry color remained stable through the harvest seasons with slight differences in color between cultivars. Berry firmness differences were generally associated with cultivar and varied little through the harvest seasons. Berry flavor (indicated by the ratio between soluble solids and acidity) tended to remain stable through the harvest seasons with considerable differences between cultivars. Work was supported by USDA grant 90-34150-5022 and the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station.