Nutrient, Water, and Canopy Management Effects On Quality in Cranberry

Quality in cranberry fruit is most commonly defined by fruit phenolics, sugars, acids and firmness (fresh market).   In recent years, health research has focused attention on phenolic compounds and prompted research regarding how horticultural practices interact with the production of these secondary metabolites.  Temperature and light appear both to play a role in phenolic development so horticultural practices that affect fruit temperature and/or light exposure of the fruit may be relevant.   Canopy manipulation by pruning or sanding has been shown to affect fruit anthocyanins.  Nitrogen nutrition can also play a role, most likely due to interaction with canopy architecture.  The use of irrigation for canopy temperature management has been proposed as a method to affect phenolics in the fruit.  The role of temperature and light in cranberry phenolic production will be reviewed and ways that this relationship might be exploited through cultural management will be explored.