3.4. Fruit quality
No significant difference was observed for the fruit juice pH (avg.
6.90), the fruit acidity concentration (avg. 0.051%; Table 3), and the colour parameter a* (greenness) (avg. −9.3; data not shown).
The fruit shape index (SI) and the colour parameter L* (lightness)
were only influenced by the nutrient solution with the highest val- ues recorded with plants treated with pH 3.5 + Al (0.21, and 46.1, respectively) compared to the pH 3.5 and pH 6.0 treatments (avg.
0.18, and 49.0, respectively). AM enhanced the fruit DM and TSS of zucchini fruits, with the highest values recorded on inoculated (avg.
5.7%, and 5.0 ◦Brix, respectively) compared to noninoculated plants
(avg. 5.2%, and 4.7 ◦Brix, respectively; Table 3). Finally, the higher
b* values were recorded with −AM (avg. 28.7), in comparison to
+AM plants (avg. 25.1; data not shown).