Production, chemical components, and content of bioactive compounds of strawberry cultivars

Abstract

There are only a few strawberry cultivars available in Brazil and all are imported from North America and Europe. Thus, the introduction of new materials and their evaluation under Brazilian environmental conditions is imperative. The objective of this study was to evaluate the production, chemical components, and concentration of bioactive compounds in strawberry cultivars under edaphoclimatic conditions in the municipality of Pelotas-RS. The experiment was conducted in the field with low tunnels in 2011 and 2012. The experiment in the field was arranged in a completely randomized design, with eight treatments (cultivars), four replications. Each plot consisted of nine plants. The experiment in laboratory was arranged in a completely randomized 8x3 factorial design (8 cultivars and 3 months of harvest) and 4 replications. The variables analyzed were fruit number and fruit mass per plant, production, yield, soluble solid content, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, anthocyanins, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity. Cultivar and harvest month influenced acidity, and the contents of soluble solids, ascorbic acid, and bioactive compounds. Cultivar Camarosa showed higher production, and higher contents of anthocyanin, phenolic compounds, and soluble solids. Cultivars ‘Palomar and ‘Aromas’ stand out for the content of ascorbic acid.