Effect of Field Fungicide Applications on Storability, Physicochemical, and Nutraceutical Content of Muscadine Grape (Vitis rotundifolia Michx.) Genotypes

A major limiting factor in fresh-market muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia Michx.) commercialization is fruit deterioration during storage. Research on table grapes has shown that field fungicide applications increase storability, but little is known of their effect on muscadines. The effect of field applications of fungicides on physicochemical attributes during postharvest storage and nutraceutical content at date of harvest was evaluated on five muscadine cultivars (Nesbitt, Southern Jewel, Summit, Supreme, and Tara) and four breeding selections from the University of Arkansas Fruit Breeding Program in 2012 and 2013. There were two field treatments (no fungicide and fungicide). For the fungicide treatment, alternating applications of two fungicides were applied to the vine at 14-day intervals during berry maturation. Fruit was harvested and physicochemical attributes including berry volume, titratable acidity (TA), pH, soluble solids (%), color (L, chroma, and hue), firmness (force to penetrate berry skins and flesh), storage weight loss (%), and unmarketable fruit (%) were evaluated every 7 days for 3 weeks. Whole muscadine berries were analyzed for nutraceutical content only for the date of harvest. As;a result of less decay, less weight loss, and greater firmness during storage, AM 27, 'Southern Jewel', and 'Supreme' had the highest potential for postharvest storage, whereas AM 01, AM 15, and 'Tara' had the least potential. Nutraceutical content varied by genotypes; overall AM 27 had the highest nutraceutical content [sum of anthocyanins, total phenolics, flavonols, resveratrol, and oxygen radical absorbane capacity (ORAC)I, whereas 'Supreme' and AM 28 had the lowest. Total anthocyanins were only found in the black genotypes and total phenolics and resveratrol were unaffected by fungicide treatment. Total ellagitannins varied among the fungicide treatments. Total flavonols were generally greater in the no fungicide treatments, whereas ORAC was generally greater with fungicide treatments. Year of study and genotype were determined to be major contributors as sources of variation. Although field fungicide applications did not affect all postharvest attributes and nutraceutical components, differences among genotypes and fungicide treatments did occur.