Production and use of the Cornelian cherry – Cornus mas L.

Abstract

The objective of the study was to evaluate the growth and yields of selected varieties of Cornelian cherry (’Elegantní’, ’Fruchtal’, ’Jaltský’, ’Jolico’, ’Lukjanovský’, ’Vydubecký’, ’Vyšegorodský’) over a 5-year period. We evaluated the following: differences in growth, plant volume, external appearance, yield data and from samples of the fruit the composition and content of selected mineral elements. The following mineral elements were determined in the fruit samples: P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn, as well as other parameters: content of solids, degree of refraction, content of acids, vitamin C and pectin.Evaluations were carried out in 2007–2011 and statistically significant differences in the plant volume were discovered among the varieties; Vyšegorodský is a high-volume variety (3.25 m3); the volume of variety Jolico is small (1.86 m3). In terms of yields the variety Fruchtal ranks among the more productive varieties (6.99 kg.plant−1); in contrast the yields of the variety Jaltský were lower (5.07 kg. plant−1). Differences among the varieties were significant only in the contents of K, Mg, Na and Fe. The Ca and P contents ranged between 301 and 365 mg.kg−1 and 313 and 412 mg.kg−1, respectively. The K content in the fruit was the lowest in variety Vydubecký (3411 mg.kg−1) and the highest in the variety Fruchtal (3798 mg.kg−1). The Mg content was lower in varieties Elegantní (241 mg.kg−1) and Fruchtal (237 mg. kg−1); the Mg content was higher in varieties Jaltský (281 mg.kg−1), Jolico (288 mg.kg−1), Lukjanovský (292 mg. kg−1) and Vyšegorodský (290 mg.kg−1). The Na content was the lowest in the fruit of variety Fruchtal (58 mg.kg−1); the Na content was significantly higher in varieties Vydubecký (81 mg.kg−1) and Jaltský (82 mg.kg−1). The Zn content ranged between 2.65 and 3.52 mg.kg−1. The Fe content in fruit was the lowest in variety Fruchtal (41 mg.kg−1) and was significantly higher in variety Lukjanovský (49 mg.kg−1). The Cu content ranged between 1.09 and 1.74 mg.kg−1. The Mn content ranged between 24 and 29 mg.kg−1. The average degree of refraction was 15 o Bx. The acid content was significantly the highest in variety Fruchtal (2.78 %); the content was medium in varieties Elegantní (2.24 %) Jolico (2.28 %) and Vydubecký (2.11 %), and was significantly the lowest in variety Lukjanovský (1.76 %). No significant differences in the content of vitamin C were discovered among the varieties. The average content of vitamin C was 61 mg in 100 g of fresh mass of the fruit. The achieved data confirmed that Cornelian cherry is a valuable plant due to its undemanding cultivation, wide-ranging possibilities of its commercial use and its properties when used in landscape and ornamental gardening.

Keywords

• Cornelian cherry
• yields
• volume of shrub
• mineral elements
• vitamin C