Project Number: 5358-12210-003-08
Project Type: Grant

Start Date: Sep 19, 2007
End Date: Sep 30, 2009

Objective:
An established bed of `Stevens¿ cranberry at a grower cooperator site will be used to: 1. Determine the effect of storing fruit on the vine (delaying harvest) on the post-harvest storage life of fresh cranberry fruit; 2. Ascertain the effect of storing fruit on the vine on fruit yield and quality, and the incidence of fruit disease or decay; 3. Model the development of cranberry fruit size, dry weight, percent soluble solids, total acidity, total anthocyanins, and total phenols through the season, including past the "traditional" harvest period, on growing degree days over two years; 4. Measure the impact of nitrogen fertilization rate on the N concentration of fruit and fresh fruit storage life and quality.

Approach:
A mature bed of `Stevens¿ (planted Feb. 1995), the most common cranberry cultivar grown in the Pacific Northwest, will be used for this research. Cranberry fruit will be collected every two weeks from about mid-June through mid-December (~2 months later than ¿normal¿ harvest). Berries will be evaluated for berry volume, firmness, fresh and dry weight, oBrix, and total acidity, anthocyanins, and phenolics. Three N fertilization rates will be studied: 1) 20 lb N/a; 2) 40 lb N/a; and 3) 60 lb N/a for their impact on cranberry fruit development rate, fruit quality, %N and % carbon (C) of fruit, percent decay, and storage life. Six harvest date treatments will be evaluated: Oct. 1 and 15, Nov. 1 and 15, and Dec. 1 and 15 in 2007 and 2008. These harvest dates were selected because this is the range in dates the commercial grower expects to harvest (by flood harvesting different beds at different times). On each harvest date the following data will be evaluated: marketable and un-marketable yield, berry number, average berry weight, firmness, and percent decay of fruit. A sub-sample of fruit will be evaluated for: berry volume, fresh weight, dry weight, oBrix, total acidity, total anthocyanins, and total phenolics. Fruit will then be handled and packaged, according to grower practice, into clamshells. Half of the clamshells will be stored at about 38 oF and the other half at room temperature for 3 weeks. After storage, fruit will be evaluated again for weight, firmness, decay, and the fruit quality parameters mentioned above. Documents Grant with Oregon State University.