A Survey of Key Methods, Traits, Parameters, and Conditions for Measuring Texture in Cranberry (<i>Vaccinium macrocarpon</i> Ait.)
Hector Lopez-Moreno,
Matthew Phillips,
Luis Diaz-Garcia,
Maria A. Torres-Meraz,
Fernando de La Torre,
Ines Berro,
Jenyne Loarca,
Jyostna Mura,
Shinya Ikeda,
Amaya Atucha,
Lara Giongo,
Massimo Iorizzo,
Juan Zalapa
Affiliations
Hector Lopez-Moreno
Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1575 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA
Matthew Phillips
Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1575 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA
Luis Diaz-Garcia
Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Maria A. Torres-Meraz
Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1575 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA
Fernando de La Torre
Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1575 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA
Ines Berro
Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1575 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA
Jenyne Loarca
Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1575 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA
Jyostna Mura
USDA-ARS, Vegetable Crops Research Unit, Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1575 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA
Shinya Ikeda
USDA-ARS, Vegetable Crops Research Unit, Department of Food Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA
Amaya Atucha
Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1575 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA
Lara Giongo
Fondazione Edmund Mach—Research and Innovation Centre Italy, Via Edmund Mach, 1, 38098 San Michele All’adige, TN, Italy
Massimo Iorizzo
Department of Horticultural Science, Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, NC Research Campus, 600 Laureate Way, Kannapolis, NC 28081, USA
Juan Zalapa
Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1575 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA
In the cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) industry, the textural properties and firmness of the fruit are priority traits for producing processed products, such as sweetened dried cranberry (SDC), which have gained popularity in recent years. However, there is currently no reliable methodology for screening these traits in breeding programs. In this study, we examine the key methodologies, textural traits, parameters, and conditions that are necessary to accurately and efficiently measure the texture of cranberry fruit. Double compression, single compression, puncture, shearing and Kramer shear cell methodologies were successfully implemented in cranberry, resulting in a total of 47 textural features. These features allowed the evaluation of the texture of the cranberry fruit based on key factors such as flesh, structure, and skin. This study also examined factors than can affect the performance of texture measurements, including the optimal sample size, storage time, fruit texture-size correlation, fruit temperature and orientation, optimal speed/strain combinations, and the effect of probe diameter. The results of the study suggests that certain texture traits of the compression and puncture methodologies could potentially be used to test varieties and aid in breeding programs.
