S12 - Session P3 - Drainage ratio influences strawberry fruit quality and shelf-life via regulation of secondary metabolite contents

Authors: Jwayeong Cho *, DaHye Ryu, HoYoun Kim, ChuWon Nho

Strawberry fruit is highly susceptible to bruising and post-harvest decay. Therefore, the formulation of strategies for fruit quality and shelf-life improvement during storage are required. In the present study, we investigated the optimal drainage ratios for high strawberry yield and quality, as well as fruit shelf-life, based on fruit yield, firmness, total soluble solid (TSS) content, anthocyanin contents, antioxidant activity, and abscisic acid (ABA) contents. In T1 (12% drainage ratio) and T2 (25.3%), relatively high antioxidant activity and low ABA contents were observed as initial response factors at harvest time, while anthocyanin and volatile organic compound contents were highly recorded as late response factors during the storage period. The T3 (36.4%) and T4 (56.5%) treatments exhibited results with trends opposite those observed under the T1 and T2 treatments. The T2 treatment was the optimal treatment because it reduced water consumption and enhanced fruit yield and shelf-life. Our results suggest that drainage conditions can influence strawberry production and shelf-life considerably. Therefore, the optimal drainage management can be used as a post-harvest management strategy in strawberry farming.