ABSTRACT. Strawberries are berry-type fruits that are very popular and widely consumed all over the world. The sensorial, physical-chemical and nutritional characteristics of strawberries are parameters of quality that influence the choices of consumers. However, these characteristics may be influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic factors that alter the fruit quality. The concentrations of nutrients and other chemical compounds in strawberries may increase and/or decrease according to the cropping system, maturation stage, climatic conditions, and preservation and storage methods. Factors characteristic of the cultivar, such as the genetic profile, may also influence the composition of strawberries. In this context, the objective of this research was to evaluate the sensorial, physical-chemical and nutritional characteristics of different strawberry cultivars to identify the genotype(s) with the best characteristics for commercialization and human consumption. The day-neutral strawberry cultivar "Aromas" and short-day strawberry cultivars "Camarosa, Camino Real, Dover, Sweet Charlie, and Tudla" were cultivated in the Olericultura Sector of the State University of the Midwest (UNICENTRO), Paraná State, Brazil. The fruits were characterized in relation to their physical-chemical, nutritional and sensorial aspects. According to the sensorial profiles, the Camarosa, Camino Real, Dover, and Tudla genotypes showed greater acceptability among consumers. Camarosa, Sweet Charlie, and Tudla presented better physical-chemical characteristics for human consumption, while the cultivars Camarosa, Dover, and Tudla had the best nutritional contents. In general, it is concluded that the genotypes Camarosa and Tudla are the most favourable for human consumption, according to their sensorial, physical-chemical and nutritional characteristics.

RESUMO O Chaco brasileiro se situa na borda oeste do estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, ocupando cerca de 7% da sub-região do Pantanal do Nabileque. O objetivo deste estudo foi efetuar o levantamento florístico de espécies arbóreas em remanescentes de Chaco no município de Porto Murtinho, investigando os tipos de frutos, a ocorrência e a distribuição das síndromes de dispersão. Foram amostrados 24 famílias, 40 gêneros e 49 espécies. As famílias mais representativas em número de espécies foram Leguminosae (21 espécies), seguida por Bignoniaceae (três espécies), Anacardiaceae, Myrtaceae e Sapindaceae (com duas espécies cada). Os tipos de frutos predominantes foram cápsulas, legume s.s. e drupóides. Quanto às síndromes de dispersão, a zoocoria (52%) foi a predominante, seguida pela anemocoria (26%) e a autocoria (22%). O estrato arbóreo mostrou-se bastante dependente da fauna para a dispersão, o que pode resultar em lacunas de distribuição caso seus dispersores se tornem raros ou extintos.

ABSTRACT The Brazilian Chaco is situated in the west edge of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, occupying around 7% of the Nabileque sub-region of the Pantanal. The objectives of this work were to do a floristic survey of the tree species occurring in the Chaco of Porto Murtinho and to describe the types of fruits and the occurrence and distribution of the dispersal syndromes. A total of 24 families, 40 genera and 49 species were found in the area. The family with highest species diversity was Leguminosae (21 spp.), followed by Bignoniaceae (3 spp.), Anacardiaceae, Myrtaceae and Sapindaceae (2 spp. each). The predominant types of fruit were capsules, legumes and drupe. Zoochory (52%) was the predominant dispersion syndrome, followed by anemochory (26%) and autochory (22%). The arboreal stratum was particularly dependent on animals for their dispersal. Dependence on animals for the transport of fruits and seeds can result in gaps in its dispersion when dispersal agents become rare or extinct. This highlights the need for protection of remaining with Brazilian Chaquenian formations.