Comparison of the Postharvest Quality of Noble Fir Boughs from the United States and Danish Provenances Grown in Denmark

Abstract

Postharvest moisture and needle retention of boughs was examined for four Danish and five U.S. provenances of noble fir grown in Denmark. Boughs were displayed indoors under controlled conditions, and data were collected relating to rates of moisture loss and needle retention. Small current-year shoots had moisture and needle loss patterns similar to larger bough material. Postharvest quality of the Danish and U.S. provenance boughs was very similar. There was also a high correlation between the moisture level of the boughs and shoots, indicating that it should be possible to use small shoots to assess differences in moisture retention in future tests.