GENOTYPIC, ENVIRONMENTAL AND PROCESSING EFFECTS ON THE SENSORY CHARACTER OF RUBUS AND RIBES

A trained sensory panel was used to assess the sensory character of raspberry and blackcurrant fruit and fruit products. Freezing and genotype x freezing were the most important factors affecting the sensory character of fresh and frozen / thawed raspberries from three cultivars collected at four locations on two harvest dates. Genotypic effects were less important. Freezing and genotype effects and to a lesser extent the freezing x genotype interaction were significant factors affecting the sensory character of fresh and frozen / thawed raspberries from 30 genotypes collected from a single location and harvest date. Although the genotype x freezing interaction was statistically significant, the best fresh and frozen / thawed selections were similar, and thus, this interaction may not be of practical importance.

Significant genotypic variation among juice samples from 46 Ribes genotypes was found using both human sensory and biochemical evaluations, but no significant correlation was observed between the methods. Genotypes with a significant proportion of commercial juicing cultivars in their parentage were closest to a branded product standard on PCA sensory maps for flavour. Diverse Ribes species and Scandinavian selections were more distant from the standard. The inheritance of certain components appeared to be influenced by dominance and / or maternal effects.

These multivariate methods are now standard-evaluation procedures for Rubus and Ribes fruit quality at the Scottish Crop Research Institute. Ongoing studies are using these techniques to assess the inheritance of fruit quality components.