Effects of Location and Harvest Time on Sensory Properties of Southern Highbush Blueberries

Southern highbush blueberry cultivars (SHB, Vaccinium corymbosum L. hybrids) developed through the blueberry breeding program at the University of Florida are the foundation for the Florida blueberry industry. These SHBs are also grown at many other locations throughout the world, including Georgia, California, Chile, Morocco, and Australia. To better understand the variation in human blueberry sensory experiences that may arise from different growing environments, six SHB genotypes (FL06-377, ‘Emerald’, ‘Farthing’, ‘Meadowlark’, ‘Primadonna’, and ‘Scintilla’) grown at three farms at different latitudes in Florida were selected and evaluated by sensory panels for two years. In 2012 and 2013, all genotypes were harvested early, mid, and late-season, from each of the three farms. Eighteen consumer panels (N=72 to 95, average=90) were conducted. Panelists rated overall liking, sweetness, sourness, and flavor intensity using general Labeled Magnitude Scales, which allow for improved comparison between panelists and between years. Overall, panelists’ ratings of liking, sweetness, and flavor intensity were not significantly different between 2012 and 2013, although perceived sourness was significantly higher in 2012 than 2013 (Tukey’s HSD, P=0.0021). Fruit from certain genotypes performed significantly differently in the consumer sensory panels when harvested from the three different growing locations. Two genotypes varied in only one sensory aspect between locations: FL06-377 and ‘Scintilla’ varied significantly from location to location for perceived sourness (Tukey’s HSD, P<0.05). In contrast, ‘Farthing’ varied significantly for all measured sensory characters when harvested from different locations (Tukey’s HSD, P<0.05). In general, scores for liking, perceived sweetness, and flavor intensity were highest for berries of all genotypes from mid-season harvests, and perceived sourness was lowest at the end of the season (Tukey’s HSD, P<0.05). From these sensory analyses, it is apparent that location and environment can cause differences in liking, sweetness, sourness, and flavor intensity of clonal SHBs. However, certain genotypes were more tolerant to the environmental effects, resulting in less change in sensory characteristics than others. Thus, it should be possible to select for genotypes with more predictable fruit quality.