SOIL MULCHING AFFECTS FRUIT QUALITY IN STRAWBERRY - Ecological Consequences of Increasing Crop Productivity - page 172

of organic acids—30.3-35.8 percent. Mulching in the rows with black polyethylene
and agro cloth resulted in the increase of organic acid losses during the storage by
21.3-35.8 percent as compared with control.
The ascorbic acid content was decreased by 16.7-42.1 percent during the storage.
The trials proved that the use of mulching during strawberry cultivation enhanced
ascorbic acid losses during the storage by 9.2-20.5 percent. The highest losses of
ascorbic acid were observed for the strawberries of 'Honey' cultivar—35.1-42.12
percent; they were lower by 0.2-15.9 percent for 'Festyvalna romashka' cultivar.
The strawberries of 'Ducat' cultivar showed high ascorbic acid content after the stor-
age—45.6-46.2 mg/100 g.
Marketable analysis of the berries after the storage showed that standard output
depended considerably on soil management type when they were grown. The use of
mulching while growing strawberries reduced the output by 5.6-10.6 percent as com-
pared with control, the level of technical reject being higher by 3.9-5.4 percent.

17.4 CONCLUSION
The use of mulching while growing strawberries enhances the accumulation of smaller
amount of dry soluble substances, sugars, and ascorbic acid, but berries have higher
acidity. The strawberries, grown with soil mulching, had an increased loss of mass and
organic substances and lower output of marketable produce during the storage. The
lowest losses of mass and organic substances during the storage and high marketable
output were recorded for the strawberries of 'Ducat' cultivar.

KEYWORDS

￿ Anthocyanin

￿ Cultivar

￿ Storage

￿ Strawberry

￿ Vitamin

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