Sensory evaluation of different green male asparagus hybrids (Asparagus officinalis)

Resumen: El espárrago es una hortaliza delicada, con tendencia creciente a nivel global. Existen diferentes genotipos cuyas características deben ser evaluadas para determinar los más adaptados al gusto de los consumidores; fundamentalmente en países como Argentina, en los que es necesario el reposicionamiento de la misma. Se efectuó una evaluación sensorial de híbridos de espárrago (ensayo de tipo exploratorio), en la Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, UCA, con 16 jueces no entrenados. Se evaluaron: Italo, Zeno, Eros, Ercole, H668, Marte, y Giove, masculinos de origen italiano, y UC 157 de origen americano. Una vez cosechados los turiones, fueron procesados en base al protocolo argentino de calidad para espárrago verde, cortados a 20 cm, cocidos y separados en dos partes (punta y base). Se estudiaron: agradabilidad olfativa (AO), agradabilidad visual general (AV); intensidad de color (AV-IC), apertura puntas (AV-AP), estructura general (AV-E), agradabilidad gustativa (AG), consistencia pulpa (AG-CP), fibrosidad (AG-F), intensidad de sabor (AG-IS) y juicio general (JG). En AO se destacaron: Italo, UC 157, H668, Marte; en AV: Italo, Marte y UC 157, Giove y Eros; en AG: Marte, seguido del resto excepto Ercole; en AV-IC: Eros, Marte y UC 157; en AV-AP: Giove y H668; en AV-E: Italo, H668, Marte, Zeno, UC 157; en AG-IS: Marte y UC157, Ercole, Giove, Italo y Eros; en AG-CP: Marte, los restantes excepto Ercole. Los menos fibrosos resultaron: H668 y Giove. En JG superaron la media de 6,7, Marte, Italo y UC 157Abstract: Asparagus is a susceptable vegetable that is increasing in value globally. There are currently different genotypes whose characteristics must be evaluated to determine which one consumers prefer; mainly in countries such as Argentina, where asparagus repositioning is necessary. This evaluation took place in the Agricultural Sciences Faculty of UCA, with 16 untrained judges. The evaluated hybrids were: Italo, Zeno, Eros, Ercole, H668, Marte, Giove-Italian male origin, and UC 157-American origin. Based on the Argentinean green asparagus quality protocol, the spears were processed as follows: 20 cm cuts, boiled and separated into two parts (tip and base). The variables studied were: olfactory pleasantness (OP), general visual pleasantness (VP), color intensity (VP-C), aperture points (VP-AP), general structure (VP-S), taste pleasantness (TP), pulp consistency (TP-PC), woodiness (TP-W), flavor intensity (TP-FI ) and general judgment (GJ). For OP, the following hybrids stood out: Italo, UC 157, H668, and Marte; for VP: Italo, Marte, UC 157, Giove and Eros; for TP: Marte, followed by all the remaining ones except Ercole; for VP-C: Eros, Marte and UC 157; for VPAP: Giove and H668; for F: Italo, H668, Marte, Zeno, and UC 157; for TP-FI: Marte and UC 157 followed by Ercole, Giove, Italo and Eros; for TP-PC: Marte, followed by the remaining ones except Ercole. The lowest woodiness (TP-W) was seen in H668 and Giove. For GJ, the average value was 6.7, exceeded by the Marte, Italo and UC 157 hybrid