Abstract
A study was done to compare fruit quality and phenolic composition of six blueberry cultivars (‘Berkeley’, ‘Bluecrop’, ‘Blueray’, ‘Bluetta’, ‘Brigitta’, and ‘Toro’) at three sites (Trento, Cuneo, and Forlí-Cesena Districts) in Italy. The plants were grown in open fields in Trento and Cuneo and in pots filled with peat in ForlíCesena. Fruit quality was affected by site, genotype, and/or cultivation system. For example, blueberries from Trento were sweeter than those from Cesena, and fruit produced in pots under soilless conditions had high acidity, which may have been due to the high amounts of citric acid added to the nutrient solution. Genotype appeared to be the main factor affecting the phenolic profile of the fruit. However, we found that blueberries contained more anthocyanins when produced under openfield conditions at higher altitudes in Trento and Cuneo.