2019 ASHS Annual Conference

Anthocyanins play a critical role in cherry quality by contributing to fruit color and nutritional value. Anthocyanin profiles in tart cherry are distinct from sweet cherries. Cyanidin 3-rutinoside is the primary anthocyanin in sweet cherries (Prunus avium), whereas tart cherries (Prunus cerasus) accumulate cyanidin 3‐glucosyl‐rutinoside as the primary anthocyanin and cyanidin 3-rutinoside as a secondary. Our objective was to evaluate the phenolic composition of the USDA-ARS Tart Cherry collection (n=130) located in Geneva, NY. Fruit was harvested at maturity in 2011, 2013, and 2014 and stored at -80℃. Phenolic content was measured using high performance liquid chromatography. Additional fruit quality traits were scored, including: total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and fruit and pit weights. Genetic markers were developed using Genotyping-by-Sequencing using the P. avium genome reference. We observed substantial variation in anthocyanin content, particularly in comparison with standard cultivar ‘Montmorency’ (PI 592845), with total anthocyanin content ranging from 72.9 to 2,095.9 μg g^-1. Additionally, we identified potentially misclassified tart cherry accessions with genetic and anthocyanin profiles better fitting sweet cherries.