Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 May 2014
Introduction. Strawberry is basically a temperate fruit, but, due to itsshort production cycle (100–120 days), it has now become the fastest growing crop in thetropical and sub-tropical regions of the Asian nations. In India, farmers of northernplain regions transplant the strawberries before the onset of the winter and keep onharvesting until early summer. Not much is known about the impact of the harvesting season(winter and summer) on the accumulation of health-promoting substances or on qualitytraits. Considering the existing research gaps and practical utility, the present studywas undertaken. Materials and methods. Four varieties were grown on raisedbeds with black polythene mulch, and a drip and fertigation system. Fruits were harvestedat the ¾ colour (scarlet) development stage and observations were recorded on differentphysiological and functional attributes consecutively during three harvesting months.Results and discussion. Our results indicated that both cultivars andharvesting months affected the physiology and functional quality of strawberry fruit.Anthocyanin, ascorbic acid and total antioxidants were found to be higher during March.Ascorbic acid content registered ≈ 50% reduction during advance summer harvesting (April).Among the tested varieties, Camarosa gave better results during all three harvestingmonths in terms of desirable quality traits. Conclusion. Our findings showthat there are some varieties such as Camarosa which have the potential to producefunctionally superior fruits over other cultivars even during early summer. Theinformation presented may be helpful in selection of suitable cultivars, and postharvesthandling and processing measures for strawberry fruits harvested during differentmonths.