Effect of Harvest Date on Kernel Quality and Antioxidant Activity in su1 Sweet Corn Genotypes

Abstract

In order to achieve a high‐quality product, sweet corn should be harvested at the optimal stage of maturity. The taste of sweet corn depends largely on the kernel moisture (KM) and total sugars (TS) content while its health properties are attributed to the content of total phenols (TPH) and antioxidant activity (AO). This study aimed to estimate quality in sugary (su1) sweet corn hybrids based on the maximum content of kernel chemical compounds and the content change during maturation. During two growing seasons, five harvests by year were made at 2‐day intervals from 17 to 25 days after pollination (DAP). KM decreased among hybrids from 6.6% to 14% over an eight‐day period, or 0.8% to 1.8% per day. TS content was the highest at 17 DAP (16.5–28.7 mg/g DW) and decreased during maturation from 27% to 67%. Hybrids differed significantly in TPH at 17 DAP (204.4–357.1 mg GAE/100 g DW). TPH change during maturation ranged from the no significant differences up to a 29.3% decrease. DPPH‐ radical scavenging activity ranged among genotypes from 52.5% to 74.9% inhibition at 17 DAP and significantly increased during maturation. A well‐defined hybrid‐specific harvest window is necessary to maintain kernel quality in su1 sweet corn.