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Impact of Cuticular Waxes on Fruit Water Loss and Color in Blueberries

December 12, 2024, 1:00 pm EST / 10:00 am PST

Speaker: Dr. Simone D. Castellarin, Professor, Canada Research Chair Tier 2 in Viticulture, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, The University of British Columbia

Fruit quality in blueberries, including surface color at harvest and postharvest water loss, is significantly influenced by cuticular waxes. Our laboratory investigates the role of cuticular waxes in determining fruit quality in northern highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.), focusing on their impact on surface color and postharvest water loss. We analyzed the contributions of the cuticle and stem scar to water loss across various cultivars, finding that 55–69% of water loss occurred through the cuticle, underscoring its critical function in restricting water loss. The composition of cuticular waxes, particularly the ratio between oleanolic and ursolic acids, varied among cultivars and affected water loss. Notably, total cuticular wax content decreased during ripening but increased during postharvest storage. Transcriptome analysis during ripening and postharvest storage uncovered a network of transcripts associated with cuticular wax biosynthesis, highlighting the roles of various OSC-Like and CYP716A-like genes in triterpenoid production. Additionally, exogenous application of abscisic acid (ABA) enhanced the expression of these biosynthetic genes, modifying wax composition and reducing water loss. Our study also showed that fruit lightness correlated to the β-diketone levels in cuticular waxes, and that β-diketones increases induced by ABA application were related to enhanced fruit lightness.

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