Cuticular waxes affect fruit surface color in blueberries

Abstract

Societal Impact StatementIn blueberry, fruit color is one of the most important quality traits affecting consumers' choices. Both pigments and waxes impact fruit color; however, their roles have not been clearly elucidated. Here, the contributions of waxes and anthocyanins to fruit color are characterized. A higher content of β‐diketones—the second largest wax group in blueberries—determines a lighter fruit color; hence revealing that, at harvest, waxes contribute more than anthocyanins in determining variations in fruit color among blueberry varieties.Summary Fruit color is one of the major quality traits determining the marketability of fruits by affecting consumers' choices. In blueberries, although fruit surface color is mainly determined by pigments (e.g., anthocyanins), cuticular waxes also play a role in modulating the surface color, and a lighter color given by a dense wax bloom is normally preferred by consumers. This study investigated the content and composition of cuticular waxes and their roles in modulating fruit surface color in 12 (seven northern highbush, three southern highbush, and two hybrids) blueberry genotypes at harvest (H1, representing the first commercial pick, and H2, representing the second commercial pick). The ultrastructural morphology of cuticular waxes was analyzed in four selected genotypes by scanning electron microscopy. The level and profile of anthocyanins and their contributions to the color were also assessed. Total cuticular wax content ranged from 27.7 to 95.8 μg cm−2 among genotypes at H1 and decreased by an average of 23.9% from H1 to H2. Triterpenoids (62.5% of the total cuticular waxes on average) and β‐diketones (22.9% on average) were the first and second largest wax groups in all genotypes, respectively. β‐Diketones were previously proven to affect leaf surface color in wheat; in this study, their content strongly correlated with the lightness of the blueberry surface. Scanning electron microscopy revealed distinct wax morphologies among genotypes. No significant relationships were found between total or individual anthocyanin concentrations and fruit surface color. Our results suggest that, at harvest, variation in the fruit surface color among blueberry genotypes is more closely related to the content and composition of cuticular waxes than the level and profile of anthocyanins, with β‐diketones being particularly important. This study provides new insights for blueberry breeding programs aiming to improve the surface color in order to meet the market demand.