The 2011 ASHS Annual Conference

We investigated the effect of high temperature on the antocyanin content of pot-grown strawberry plants. Nursery seedlings in pot were grown at plastic film covered greenhouse. For simplicity, fruit set was fixed at one per pot. After pollination by honeybees, high temperature treatment was started in growth chambers. The air temperature was set to either 30/15 oC (day/night, 14/10h) (high-temperature regime) or 20/15 oC (control). After fruit weights were measured, they were divided 3 portions, inner (pith), middle (cortex) and outer part. Then the anthocyanin and its precursors (flavonoid and cinnamic acid derivative) contents were analyzed by HPLC.
The harvest time from anthesis at high-temperature regime became shorter than control. The anthocyanin content had no significant difference at the outer part of the fruit but decreased under high temperature condition at inner and middle part. The cinnamic acid derivative content decreased at all the part of the fruit but the flavonoid content tended to increase by high temperature. On the biosynthesis pathway of anthocyanin, high temperature affected the process of flavonoid especially at the inside of the strawberry fruits.