Elevated carbon dioxide affects fruit flavor in field-grown strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duch)

The effect of elevated carbon dioxide on fruit quality and aroma volatile composition in field-grown strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duch) was studied. Elevating the ambient CO2 concentration (ambient + 300, and ambient +600 (mu)mol mol^-1 CO2) resulted in high fruit dry matter, fructose, glucose and total sugar contents and low citric and malic acid contents. High CO2 growing conditions significantly enhanced the fruit content of ethyl hexanoate, ethyl butanoate, methyl hexanoate, methyl butanonate, hexyl acetate, hexyl hexanoate, furaneol, linalool and methyl octanoate. Thus, the total amounts of these compounds were higher in berries grown in CO2-enriched conditions than those grown in ambient conditions. The highest CO2 enrichment (600 (mu)mol mol^-1) condition yielded fruit with the highest levels of these aroma compounds.