Comparative study of the fruit quality parameters of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) cv. Regina in Central and Southern Chile during development and harvest

Abstract

Sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) is one of the most relevant products for the Chilean fruit exportation industry, however, there is no quantitative information about the effects of the geographical area of cultivation on the quality of the final product. During the 2019-2020 season, cherries were harvested in five stages during fruit development and ripening. The fruit came from six growers, three were located in the central macrozone and three in the southern macrozone, between the O'Higgins and Aysén regions. This study reports the results obtained from several physicochemical quality parameters: weight, colour, firmness, soluble solids (SS) and titratable acidity (AT), as well as the relationship between quality parameters and the main volatile compounds in each macrozone. It was confirmed that there are marked differences in the size, soluble solids and titratable acidity of sweet cherry between the central and southern production zones.