What are the effects of growing conditions, biostimulant applications, and genotype on nutritional fruit quality characteristics in blackberry cultivation?

Understanding the factors that influence the nutritional fruit quality of blackberries is essential for producing high-quality fruit for consumers. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of biostimulant (BSt) applications, growing conditions, and genotype on the nutritional fruit quality characteristics of blackberry. Four genotypes were grown in two growing conditions (greenhouse and open field), and three BSts were applied: chitosan, glycine betaine, and myo-inositol. Growing conditions, BSt applications, and genotype all had significant effects on the evaluated traits. In terms of the traits examined, 32.4% of the total variance was attributed to growing conditions, 28.4% to genotypes, while applications accounted for 6.3% of the variance, while the genotype × growing condition interaction contributed to 20.8% of the observed variance in fruit quality traits. These findings demonstrate that growing conditions and genotype are the major determinants of nutritional fruit quality characteristics in blackberry.