Bud position influence the fruit quality attributes of three blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade) cultivars

ABSTRACT Blueberry farming can be considered an excellent alternative to diversify the family income. In addition, the fruits have several health benefits thanks to the presence of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins, however blueberries chemical composition is affected by edaphoclimatic conditions and bud position within the shoot. Therefore, the objective of the study was to evaluate the influence of the bud position on the total phenolic content, anthocyanins, antioxidant capacity, and other quality parameters of blueberry fruits of three cultivars (Climax, Bluegem, and Powderblue) grown in the mesoregion of Pelotas, Brazil. Fruits of these cultivars were harvested from three shoot position. The fruits were evaluated for their total soluble solids content, pH, total titratable acidity, total soluble solids/total titratable acidity ratio, fruit color, phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and antioxidant potential against the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl radical. The bud position in the shoots influenced the physicochemical parameters of the blueberry fruits of all cultivars. Fruits harvested from apical levels had higher content of soluble solids, pH, phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and antioxidant potential, demonstrating that studies aiming at evaluating fruits from different shoot levels are important, as they directly impact the quality of the fruits as well as their biological potentials.