Yield and physicochemical quality of Physalis peruviana L. fruit related to the resistance response against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. physali

Abstract

Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) is a fruit of great interest, due to its high nutritional and potential medicinal value. Vascular wilt disease caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Physali (Foph) is responsible for crop losses of up to 100% which makes necessary to identify resistant cultivars. To contribute to crop improvement processes, a physicochemical characterization was performed on fruits of 33 cape gooseberry genotypes using 18 quantitative descriptors. The genotypes were planted in the field under high and no pressure of Foph. The Student’s t test detected statistically significant differences (P<0.05) between the two conditions for yield, fruit cracking (%) and fruit juice pH. The principal component analysis explained in five factors 84.96% of the total variance, in which the fruit physical variables were the major contributor to the first component (41.65%). Cluster analysis grouped the genotypes under high and no pressure in seven and eight clusters, respectively. Two contrasting genotypes showing differential resistance response to the pathogen were analyzed for fruit antioxidant capacity, in which DPPH and ORAC methods presented significant differences (P<0.05) between the two genotypes with greater antioxidant activity in the susceptible material.

Keywords

• fruit quality
• antioxidant capacity
• promising genotypes
• vascular wilt