Genotype, location, and harvest date effects on the sensory character of fresh and frozen red raspberries

Abstract

Fruit from three red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) cultivars-'Glen Clova', 'Glen Lyon', and 'Glen Moy' - were harvested from four sites on two harvest dates and evaluated fresh or following storage at -20 °C to determine the relative importance of genotype, harvest date, location and freezing effects on 19 sensory attributes using a trained sensory panel. Freezing and cultivar x freezing interaction effects were relatively large while site, harvest date, and other interactions were of minor importance. The cultivar x freezing interaction was caused by differential responses among cultivars for the sensory attributes purple, juicy, sweet, and raspberry aroma with less discrimination among cultivars postfreezing. 'Glen Clova' fresh fruit received the highest values for juicy, fruity, sweet, and raspberry aroma; 'Glen Moy' fresh fruit received the highest values for purple; 'Glen Lyon' fresh fruit received the lowest values for juicy, postfreezing, 'Glen Lyon' received the highest values for purple and sweet and all three cultivars were similar for the other attributes. These data suggest that selection for improved postfreezing sensory characteristics should not rely solely on fresh fruit evaluations although further study of a more genetically diverse group of genotypes would be beneficial. The significant cultivar and minimal harvest date and location effects suggest that these fruit sensory analysis methods should be useful in selecting raspberry genotypes with superior fruit quality.