Preliminary evaluation of day-neutral strawberry cultivars cultivated in Italy using a qualitative integrated approach

In this study the texture profile, total soluble solids (TSS) and the fruit skin colour of four day-neutral strawberry cultivars cultivated in Italy (‘Anabelle’, ‘Murano*’, ‘Portola*’ and ‘Triumph’) was evaluated at four harvest times. The interrelationships of the analysed parameters were determined using principal component analysis in order to suggest the best commercial scenario (local market, supermarket retailer or export) for each cultivar. Data analysis related to texture and TSS contents revealed that ‘Anabelle’, ‘Portola*’ and ‘Murano*’ displayed unique characteristics, and that ‘Triumph’ showed lower values for these parameters. Due to its low hardness and cohesiveness values ‘Anabelle’ could be suited to a short supply chain; ‘Portola*’, meanwhile, might meet the requirements of a long supply chain, due to its high hardness and low TSS (P £ 0.05); ‘Murano*’ could be distinguished from the other cultivars by its high luminosity (ranging from 41.46–46.21 L*); while ‘Triumph’, due to its darkness (36.83–37.13 L*), could be suitable for a local/farmers’ market.