Development of a rose odor wheel and comparison of HCATA and HRATA methods for rose plant odor characterization
Abstract
Rose odors greatly influence consumer preferences for cultivated rose plants, yet systematic methods for characterizing rose odors remain limited. This study sought to (1) develop the first dedicated odor wheel for rose plants and (2) compare two recently developed hierarchical methods for evaluating sensory descriptors—the Hierarchical-Rate-All-That-Apply (HRATA) approach and the Hierarchical-Check-All-That-Apply (HCATA) approach—which have never previously been compared. The rose odor wheel had three hierarchical levels: 87 attributes, 24 categories, and 7 families (total of 118 terms). It was developed after reviewing the literature on rose odor compounds and descriptions of commercial cultivars. Feedback from both experts and naïve consumers was subsequently collected to refine and finalize the wheel's hierarchical organization. Next, this rose odor wheel was used by two balanced panels of 74 participants, who evaluated 9 fragrant rose cultivars in pots in an open tunnel. Participants had been assigned either the HRATA method (applicable terms selected and rated on a 3-point intensity scale) or the HCATA method (applicable terms simply selected without intensity rating). Both methods generally yielded the same distinct odor profiles for the rose cultivars. Out of the 118 initial terms, 33 terms were significantly involved in differentiating the rose cultivars when either method was used; an additional 29 terms were significant with only one method. The most frequently selected terms included floral, fruity, vegetal, powdery, and rose water. System Usability Scale scores indicated good usability and were equivalent for the two methods. However, participants emphasized the importance of receiving prior training in odor recognition and wheel use. The HRATA and HCATA methods thus provided broadly comparable results when used to characterize complex rose odors. Their hierarchical structure appeared to allow participants to respond based on their capacity to distinguish odors. The rose odor wheel represents the first potential structured tool for evaluating rose odor, but must be validated using a wider range of cultivars and users. In conclusion, these approaches offer promising alternatives to traditional sensory profiling when evaluating fragrant ornamental plants.
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BibTeX
@article{symoneaux2026development,
title = {{Development of a rose odor wheel and comparison of HCATA and HRATA methods for rose plant odor characterization}},
author = {Ronan Symoneaux and Léa Martin and Jean-Claude Caissard and Sylvie Baudino and Benoît Boachon and Tatiana Thouroude and Fabrice Foucher and Laurence Hibrand-Saint Oyant},
journal = {Food Quality and Preference},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1016/j.foodqual.2026.106162},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05857000v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Development of a rose odor wheel and comparison of HCATA and HRATA methods for rose plant odor characterization
AU - Ronan Symoneaux
AU - Léa Martin
AU - Jean-Claude Caissard
AU - Sylvie Baudino
AU - Benoît Boachon
AU - Tatiana Thouroude
AU - Fabrice Foucher
AU - Laurence Hibrand-Saint Oyant
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/09
JO - Food Quality and Preference
DO - 10.1016/j.foodqual.2026.106162
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05857000v1
AB - Rose odors greatly influence consumer preferences for cultivated rose plants, yet systematic methods for characterizing rose odors remain limited. This study sought to (1) develop the first dedicated odor wheel for rose plants and (2) compare two recently developed hierarchical methods for evaluating sensory descriptors—the Hierarchical-Rate-All-That-Apply (HRATA) approach and the Hierarchical-Check-All-That-Apply (HCATA) approach—which have never previously been compared. The rose odor wheel had three hierarchical levels: 87 attributes, 24 categories, and 7 families (total of 118 terms). It was developed after reviewing the literature on rose odor compounds and descriptions of commercial cultivars. Feedback from both experts and naïve consumers was subsequently collected to refine and finalize the wheel's hierarchical organization. Next, this rose odor wheel was used by two balanced panels of 74 participants, who evaluated 9 fragrant rose cultivars in pots in an open tunnel. Participants had been assigned either the HRATA method (applicable terms selected and rated on a 3-point intensity scale) or the HCATA method (applicable terms simply selected without intensity rating). Both methods generally yielded the same distinct odor profiles for the rose cultivars. Out of the 118 initial terms, 33 terms were significantly involved in differentiating the rose cultivars when either method was used; an additional 29 terms were significant with only one method. The most frequently selected terms included floral, fruity, vegetal, powdery, and rose water. System Usability Scale scores indicated good usability and were equivalent for the two methods. However, participants emphasized the importance of receiving prior training in odor recognition and wheel use. The HRATA and HCATA methods thus provided broadly comparable results when used to characterize complex rose odors. Their hierarchical structure appeared to allow participants to respond based on their capacity to distinguish odors. The rose odor wheel represents the first potential structured tool for evaluating rose odor, but must be validated using a wider range of cultivars and users. In conclusion, these approaches offer promising alternatives to traditional sensory profiling when evaluating fragrant ornamental plants.
SN - 0950-3293
ER -