| To screen out the high quality hawthorn varieties in Yulin area, four fresh hawthorn cultivars were selected for study. Nine parameters related to fruit appearance and nutritional quality—including single fruit weight, transverse diameter, and longitudinal diameter—were measured and analyzed. Significant differences were observed among the four varieties in both appearance and nutritional parameters. Among the four cultivars, ‘Damianqiu’ had the highest single fruit weight and transverse diameter, followed by ‘Dajinxing’. There was no significant difference in fruit weight between these two cultivars. ‘Dajinxing’ showed significantly higher edible rate, total sugar, total phenol, and titratable acid contents than the other varieties. The flavonoid contents of ‘Dajinxing’ and ‘Qiujinxing’ were also significantly higher, while no significant differences in vitamin C content were found. Principal component analysis and comprehensive evaluation were performed based on appearance and flavor traits. The ranking of the four cultivars was: ‘Dajinxing’, ‘Damianqiu’, ‘Qiujinxing’, and ‘Xinbin Ruanzi’. Among them, ‘Dajinxing’ was identified as the top performing variety. These results provide a scientific basis for cultivar selection and the development of the fresh hawthorn industry in the Yulin area. |
