2019 ASHS Annual Conference
Consumer Sensory Preferences in Response to Manipulating Fresh Basil Flavor through Controlled Environment Light, Temperature, and Carbon Dioxide Management
Consumer Sensory Preferences in Response to Manipulating Fresh Basil Flavor through Controlled Environment Light, Temperature, and Carbon Dioxide Management
Tuesday, July 23, 2019: 2:30 PM
Cohiba 1-3 (Tropicana Las Vegas)
Light intensity, average daily temperature (ADT), and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration can influence the growth and development of crops. However, altering environmental parameters in controlled environments (CE) can also influence the sensory attributes of culinary herbs. This may result in a diversity of consumer taste preferences. Therefore, our objectives were to 1) determine if consumers can detect differences in basil flavor due to light intensity, CO2 concentration, and ADT and 2) characterize their preferences to better inform production and marketing strategies. Thus, we conducted three consumer taste panels. For experiment 1, seeds of basil (Ocimum basilicum) ‘Nufar’ were sown and placed in a growth chamber under light intensities of 100, 200, 400, or 600 µmol·m–2·s–1 with a 16-h photoperiod creating daily light integrals (DLIs) of 6, 12, 23, and 35 mol·m–2·d–1. After two weeks, leaves were harvested for evaluation. In experiment 2, seeds were sown and placed in growth chambers under light intensities of 200 or 400 µmol·m–2·s–1 and 500 or 1,000 µmol·mol–1 CO2 with leaves harvested after two weeks. For experiment 3, seedlings were transplanted into deep-flow hydroponic systems in greenhouses with target ADTs of 23, 26, 29, 32, or 35 °C and grown for three weeks, after which the four most newly mature leaves were harvested. Panel evaluations were conducted through a sliding-door with samples served individually while panelists answered Likert scale and open-ended quality attribute and sensory questions. Over all, consumers preferred basil grown under a 200 µmol·m–2·s–1 light intensity the most because these samples had a less bitter taste, milder aftertaste, deeper green color, crisper texture, more moderate flavor, and more pleasant aroma. However, panelists preferred the larger leaf size of basil grown under 400 and 600 µmol·m–2·s–1 compared to plants grown under 100 or 200 µmol·m–2·s–1. Consumers indicated no differences in flavor between the CO2 treatments. However, they preferred the appearance, texture, and color of basil grown under higher ADTs (26 or 29 to 35 °C) compared to 23 °C due to the smaller leaf size of plants grown at higher ADTs, the more crisp texture, and the deeper color. However, plants grown with an ADT of 23 °C were less bitter than those grown at 35 °C; so overall liking between temperature treatments was not different. Therefore, consumer preferences should be considered and incorporated into CE production and marketing decisions.