Influence of Vegetation Period Meteorological Conditions on the Mass and Indicators of Biochemical Composition Determining Cherry Fruits Taste

The aim of research is to study the influence of meteorological conditions of the growing season on the weight and biochemical composition indicators that determine the taste of cherry fruits. The studies were conducted at the All-Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding ((VNIISPK) (Orel Region) in 2018–2021; the objects of the study were 9 cherry varieties bred by VNIISPK. Sampling was carried out at the cherry variety study sites, and the chemical composition of the fruits was analyzed in the biochemistry laboratory. In cherry samples taken in the amount of 1.0 kg during the period of full maturity, the following were determined: fruit weight – by weighing on a technochemical scale, soluble solids content (SSC) – by the refractometric method; sugar amounts – by the Bertrand method; organic acids – by titrating extracts with 0.1 N sodium hydroxide solution. The sugar-acid index (SAI), hydrothermal coefficient (HTC) according to T.T. Selyaninov, and pair correlation coefficients were calculated. Meteorological conditions of the growing season had a significant impact on the content of the studied biochemical components and fruit weight, to a greater extent precipitation, which is confirmed by the calculated pair correlation coefficients: a direct relationship was established between the amount of precipitation and fruit weight (r = +0.82), the content of sugars (r = +0.94), monosaccharides (r = +0.72), sucrose (r = +0.72), organic acids (r = +0.94), soluble dry matter in fruits (r = +0.54) and an inverse relationship with the value of the sugar-acid index (r = –0.95). The varieties with the required level of the studied characteristics and their high stability (V ≤ 10.0 %) were selected: by weight – Vereya, Prevoskhodnaya Venyaminova, Putinka, Turgenevka; by the content of RSV and sugars – Prevoskhodnaya Venyaminova, Podarok Uchitelam, Putinka; by the content of organic acids – Businka, Podarok Uchitelam; by the sugar-acid index – Prevoskhodnaya Venyaminova, Podarok Uchitelam; by the complex of characteristics – the variety Prevoskhodnaya Venyaminova, Podarok Uchitelam.