Variation of Eugenia uniflora L. fruit quality attributes in the south of the Argentine Gran Chaco

Abstract

Pitanga (Eugenia uniflora L.) is an under-utilized berry in Argentina characterized by high bioactive compound content, sweet flavour, and high antioxidant capacity. The variation of fruit quality attributes of pitanga, as an input for further domestication programs, was evaluated. Pitanga fruits from three different provenances were collected in 2015 in Santa Fe province (Argentina), and their quality attributes for the fresh market and processing were evaluated. Variance component analysis was performed to test intra- and inter-provenance variation on fruit quality. Differences in mean values between provenances were tested by multivariate analysis of variance. About 70% to 82% of the total variance of fruit size was attributed to intra-provenance variability. Also, significant differences between provenances were found in most of the studied quality attributes. When compared to pitangas from Brazilian provenances, the pitangas tested here showed smaller fruit size (−75% fruit weight and −43% diameter), but same proportion of edible portion (≈77%). Pitanga ideotypes for the fresh market should have bigger sized fruits than observed in our research. However, pitanga ideotypes for fruit pulp processing should have a high percentage of edible portion and nutrients regardless of fruit size. Our data thus show that the tested fruits would have a high potential for fruit processing but not for the fresh market. Further research addressing sensory attributes of candidate phenotypes is recommended.