Brazilian Apple Research Articles

The Brazilian Apple Market and the Cider

The Brazilian Apple Market and the Cider

Differential aggressiveness of Austropuccinia psidii isolates from guava and rose apple upon cross‐inoculation

AbstractMyrtle rust, caused by Austropuccinia psidii, has been associated with more than 480 plant species belonging to the family Myrtaceae. Intraspecific variability in pathogenicity has been reported among isolates of A. psidii from different hosts. However, there are few studies that have comparatively quantified the disease in guava (Psidium guajava) and rose apple (Syzygium jambos). The objective of this work was to quantify the pathogenic variability of A. psidii isolates collected from guava and rose apple in Brazil and to investigate the mechanisms of infection and colonization of the pathogen at the cellular level. The monocyclic components of the rust disease were evaluated on young leaves of rose apple and guava plants cross‐inoculated with isolates from rose apple and guava. Pathogenic specialization of both A. psidii isolates for their respective hosts was confirmed in this work. The guava A. psidii isolate was able to infect and colonize rose apple leaf tissues but no sporulation occurred. Similarly, the rose apple A. psidii isolate infected guava plants but did not sporulate. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that lobed haustoria were present within rose apple leaves at 2 days post‐inoculation (dpi) with both isolates, which resulted in intense mesophyll colonization for both interactions at 9 dpi. The latter is remarkable because infection of rose apple with the guava A. psidii isolate did not result in mature rust pustules.

First report of Beauveria bassiana in the in vivo control of Eriosoma lanigerum in Brazilian apple trees

First report of Beauveria bassiana in the in vivo control of Eriosoma lanigerum in Brazilian apple trees

Viability and release of Neonectria ditissima ascospores on apple fruit in Brazil

AbstractDuring European canker monitoring in an apple experimental orchard, 14 mummified fruit (two and three trees with 10 and four positive records in 2018 and 2019, respectively) showed perithecia. Perithecium production on apple fruit, confirmation of pathogenicity of Neonectria ditissima isolated from mummified fruit, and ascospore release from fruit tissues has rarely been reported, and their role in the epidemiology of European canker has been largely overlooked. Thus, the objectives of our study were to (a) prove the presence of both conidia and ascospores of N. ditissima in mummified fruit in an experimental field, confirming pathogenesis in different apple cultivars, and (b) monitor production of the two types of inoculum in infected apple fruit over time. Canker incidence in this orchard was 47% of trees with symptoms in 2018 and 48% in 2019. Molecular and morphological tests confirmed that the fungus detected in the mummified apple fruit was N. ditissima. Apple fruit with sporodochia and perithecia washed immediately after collection from the orchard showed conidia but no ascospores of N. ditissima. However, after 4 days’ incubation, perithecia on mummified fruit showed many ascospore cirri. Koch's postulates were fulfilled on apple plants and mature fruit. Fruit inoculated with N. ditissima released spores for over a year under Brazilian field conditions. The release of both spore types peaked in May (Brazilian leaf fall) and October (spring); release of conidia also peaked in February (early harvest). These results support our hypothesis that fruit can serve as primary inoculum for European canker in Brazilian apple orchards.

Knowledge Sharing, Absorptive Capacity and Innovation in the Brazilian Apple Production Chain

An innovative and highly technological spirit characterizes the Brazilian agribusiness sector. This sector is important not only for generating wealth but also for being responsible for the movement of other economy's sectors. In this context, knowledge sharing has been treated as an antecedent of innovation, but not always considering the role of absorptive capacity. In the agribusiness context, this relationship is still less explored. Thus, in this paper, we propose a structural equations model to analyze the relationship between knowledge sharing, absorptive capacity and its influence on innovation in the Brazilian apple production chain. To validate the model and the proposed hypotheses, we use a quantitative-descriptive methodology, empirically investigated based on a survey. We apply a questionnaire with 166 actors from the apple value chain, from the production and packing-houses segments of Southern Brazil. The results obtained provided strong support for hypothesized relationships, which demonstrated that the sharing of knowledge significantly influences innovation in the Brazilian apple production chain. However, must be integrated with the absorptive capacity to maximize its effects.

Molecular Characterization of the Coat Protein Gene of Greek Apple Stem Pitting Virus Isolates: Evolution through Deletions, Insertions, and Recombination Events.

A RT–PCR assay developed to amplify the full coat protein (CP) gene of apple stem pitting virus (ASPV) was evaluated using 180 Greek apple and pear samples and showed a broad detection range. This method was used to investigate the presence of ASPV in quince in Greece and showed a high incidence of 52%. The sequences of 14 isolates from various hosts with a distinct RFLP profile were determined. ASPV population genetics and the factors driving ASPV evolution were analyzed using the Greek ASPV sequences, novel sequences from Brazilian apple trees and Chinese botanical Pyrus species, and homologous sequences retrieved from GenBank. Fourteen variant types of Greek, Brazilian and botanical isolates, which differ in CP gene length and presence of indels, were identified. In addition, these analyses showed high intra- and inter-group variation among isolates from different countries and hosts, indicating the significant variability present in ASPV. Recombination events were detected in four isolates originating from Greek pear and quince and two from Brazilian apples. In a phylogenetic analysis, there was a tendency for isolates to cluster together based on CP gene length, the isolation host, and the detection method applied. Although there was no strict clustering based on geographical origin, most isolates from a given country tended to regroup in specific clusters. Interestingly, it was found that the phylogeny was correlated to the type, position, and pattern of indels, which represent hallmarks of specific lineages and indicate their possible role in virus diversification, rather than the CP size itself. Evidence of recombination between isolates from botanical and cultivated species and the clustering of isolates from botanical species and isolates from cultivated species suggest the existence of a possible undetermined transmission mechanism allowing the exchange of ASPV isolates between the cultivated and wild/ornamental hosts.

Detection and characterization of quiescent infections of Neonectria ditissima in Brazilian commercial apple fruit

Neonectria ditissima, the causal agent of European Canker and Neonectria fruit rot, is a quarantine apple pathogen in Brazil, restricted to some production areas of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Parana states. The quarantine rests on a product certification based on the absence of symptoms but it is not known whether the pathogen could be moving around in quiescent infections. In this work, we detected N. ditissima after incubation of asymptomatic commercial fruit. The identity of the pathogen was confirmed using morphological and molecular tools, and Koch’s postulates were fulfilled on “Gala” apples. We demonstrated that fruits are weak links in quarantine efforts. Fruit stored at low temperatures present quiescent N. ditissima infections, which may develop rapidly with abundant sporulation when exposed to more suitable conditions, as those of commercialization. Revised management strategies for flower and fruit treatment, as well as studies on efficient detection methods are strongly recommended.

First Report on Detection of Three Bunya-Like Viruses in Apples in Brazil

First Report on Detection of Three Bunya-Like Viruses in Apples in Brazil

‘Venice’, a new Brazilian apple cultivar from Epagri

‘Venice’, a new Brazilian apple cultivar from Epagri

Postharvest quality of ‘Brookfield’ apple field-treated with naphthalene acetic acid alone or combined with other growth regulators

ABSTRACT The Gala cultivars represent about 65% of the Brazilian apple production, however, it has a short harvest period, making necessary to use technologies that anticipate or delay fruit maturation. A widely used technology is the preharvest application of growth regulators. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of preharvest application of naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) combined with aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) and 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid (Ethephon), on the quality of ‘Brookfield’ apple at harvest and after eight months controlledatmosphere (CA)(1.2 kPa O2 and 2.0 kPa CO2) storage followed by seven days of shelf life at 20 °C. The treatments were: [1] Control: application of water only; [2] NAA (40 g.ha-1); [3] NAA (40 g·ha-1) plus Ethephon (2.0 L·ha-1 24% of active ingredient), and [4] NAA (40 g·ha-1) plus AVG (0.83 kg.ha-1 15% of active ingredient). At harvest, fruit treated with NAA presented a higher level of starch degradation, ethylene production and respiration rate. Fruit treated with NAA plus AVG maintained better quality after eight months under CA storage plus seven days of shelf life, due to higher healthy fruit amount and higher flesh firmness, but this combination reduced the red skin color index. Additionally, NAA plus Ethephon may be an alternative to maintain the quality of ‘Brookfield’ apple during storage in comparison to the application of NAA isolated.

Evaluation of Resistance Management for the Oriental Fruit Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) to Insecticides in Brazilian Apple Orchards.

The oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta (Busk, 1916), is one of the most important pests in apple orchards in southern Brazil. Chemical control is still the most commonly used strategy for pest control. The aim of this study was to determine the resistance evolution of seven South Brazilian populations to four insecticides (chlorantraniliprole, lufenuron, chlorpyrifos, and fenitrothion). Bioassays were paired with metabolic analyses of glutathione-S-transferase (GST), carboxylesterases (α-NA and β-NA), and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) to understand the possible role with phytosanitary strategies in the insects' susceptibility. Insect populations were collected in the municipalities of Campo do Tenente, Lapa and Porto Amazonas, Fraiburgo, São Joaquim, and Vacaria and multiplied in the laboratory. Two susceptible and two resistant populations were used as references. The bioassays showed that five populations were considered more resistant to organophosphates, six to lufenuron and two to chlorantraniliprole when compared with the sensitive population. None of the field populations had greater resistance than the resistant laboratory population. The enzymatic activity of AChE and GST was elevated in most of the populations that were less susceptible to organophosphates and lufenuron. The populations originating from orchards that used sexual confusion techniques had the greatest susceptibility based on toxicological and biochemical bioassays. Populations under pressure from various compounds had high GST, α and β-NA activity. There is evidence that a diversity of control strategies can provide better resistance management.

A brief history of the forty-five years of the Epagri apple breeding program in Brazil

Abstract The E’AppleBP is the largest Brazilian apple breeding program in activity in Brazil, with Brazilian and international contributions to breeding of apple cultivars, under public funding. The main objectives are development of new apple cultivars with good local climate adaptation, disease resistance, high yield, high fruit quality, good fruit storability and lower demand for orchard hand labor. Twenty-seven apple cultivars have been released, including 15 from local breeding crosses and four sport mutations. ‘Fuji Suprema’, ‘Monalisa’, ‘Venice’, ‘Daiane’, ‘Luiza’, and ‘Kinkas’ are most promising for commercial use. The other eight cultivars were released for use as pollinizers.

Disposal of Pesticide Wastes in Apple Orchards in the South of Brazil and Its Compliance With Current Legislation

This research aimed to verify how the disposal of pesticide wastes occurs in apple orchards (Malus domestica) in the south of Brazil and to verify its compliance with current legislation. This was a quantitative, descriptive and prospective field study. The research was carried out with 82 farmers from two rural areas belonging to the municipality of São Joaquim, the largest Brazilian apple producer, located in the Serrano Plateau of the State of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil. The farmers were interviewed at home and questioned about the disposal of empty pesticide containers. The results of this research showed that most farmers carry out the proper management of the empty pesticide containers and return them to the collection stations or centers (85.5%), the other 8.5% dispose empty containers inappropriately, keeping them in the open air or burning them. It should be noted that 20.7% of farmers store these containers in the open air until they are delivered to the collection stations without any protection and exposed to people and animals. In addition, it was observed that individuals without any level of education tend to store empty containers inadequately. Thus, despite the fact that Brazil is a world reference in terms of the proper disposal of empty pesticide containers, there are still cases of non-compliance with the current legislation in relation to these procedures, and there is a need for technical guidance to workers, especially those with lower levels of education, as well as greater rigor of the legislation of supervision by the competent body.

Impact of native forest remnants and wild host plants on the abundance of the South American fruit fly, Anastrepha fraterculus in Brazilian apple orchards

In Paraná, southern Brazil, apple orchards are commonly bordered by highly biodiverse Atlantic Forest remnants. The main insect pest in these orchards is the highly polyphagous South American fruit fly, Anastrepha fraterculus. Technical advisers recommend that farmers remove wild host plants of A. fraterculus around orchards, which is at odds with the need for forest conservation. We thus investigated whether the presence of Atlantic Forest remnants and A. fraterculus host plants surrounding commercial apple orchards affect A. fraterculus populations in apple orchards in Paraná, southern Brazil. For this purpose, we monitored A. fraterculus using McPhail traps in a total of 67 100 m × 200 m apple orchard plots that differed in their adjacent landscape (forest with A. fraterculus host plants, forest without host plants, open areas). In total, we captured 6412 Anastrepha fruit flies during four growing seasons. At the time when the apple fruits were susceptible to A. fraterculus, the probability of occurrence (i.e. of presence or absence) of A. fraterculus did not differ among the adjacent landscape types and was not affected by the presence of specific host plants. Its abundance in traps where at least one individual was found was also not affected. In contrast, at the time when the apple fruits were absent or not susceptible to A. fraterculus, A. fraterculus probability of occurrence was significantly higher in plots adjacent to open area than in plots adjacent to native forest remnants and intermediate in plots adjacent to native forest remnants with A. fraterculus host plants. At that time, its probability of occurrence and its abundance increased only with the presence of Psidium cattleyanum in these forest remnants. These results indicate that forest remnants had a limited impact on A. fraterculus abundance in orchards and do not support the recommendation to indiscriminately remove wild host plants adjacent to apple orchards.

Genetic variability in a Brazilian apple germplasm collection with low chilling requirements.

The apple (Malus domestica Borkh) originally evolved to require temperatures below 7.2 °C for the induction of budding and flowering. In Brazil, breeders have overcome the climate barrier and developed the cultivars Anabela, Julieta, Carícia, and Eva, with low chilling requirements and good yield characteristics. These cultivars are grown in many warmer climate countries in South America, Africa, and the Middle East. The apple germplasm collection that originated these cultivars has several genotypes with pedigrees for a low chilling requirement. Knowledge of the variability and genetic relationships among these genotypes may be useful in the development of superior new cultivars. In this work, we first selected the best ISSR (inter-simple sequence repeat) primers for genetic studies in apple, and then we used the selected primers to evaluate the genetic variability of the apple germplasm collection at the Instituto Agronômico do Paraná. The evaluation of 42 ISSR primers in 10 apple genotypes allowed us to select the best nine primers based on the polymorphic information content (PIC) and resolving power (RP) indexes. The primer selection step was robust since the dendrogram obtained with the nine selected primers was the same as the one obtained using all 26 polymorphic primers. Primer selection using PIC and RP indexes allowed us to save about 60% of time and costs in the genetic variability study. The nine ISSR primers showed high levels of genetic variability in the 60 apple genotypes evaluated. The relevance of the primer selection step is discussed from the perspective of saving time and money in germplasm characterization. The high genetic variability and the genetic relationships among the genotypes are discussed from the perspective of the development of new apple cultivars, mainly aiming for a low chilling requirement that can better adapt to current climatic conditions or those that may arise with global warming.

First Report of Brown Rot Caused by Monilinia fructicola on Apple in Brazil

First Report of Brown Rot Caused by <i>Monilinia fructicola</i> on Apple in Brazil

Colletotrichum acutatum and C. gloeosporioides Species Complexes Associated with Apple in Brazil.

Glomerella leaf spot (GLS) is an apple disease that concerns growers due to the increases in severity over the years and the difficulties in control. Species within the Colletotrichum acutatum and C. gloeosporioides species complexes cause GLS, but the proportion of species within each complex in Brazilian apple orchards is not known. The objectives of this study were to identify isolates of Colletotrichum causing GLS on apple orchards in the main Brazilian producing regions to the species level. Two hundred and seven isolates were obtained in orchards in São Paulo (SP), Parana (PR), Santa Catarina (SC), and Rio Grande do Sul (RS) states. Genomic DNA was extracted, and the ITS, GAPDH, CHS-1, and TUB2 genes were amplified and sequenced. The phylogenetic trees were generated using a concatenated alignment. One hundred and fourteen isolates were identified as belonging to the C. acutatum species complex (Cac) and 93 to the C. gloeosporioides species complex (Cgc). Five phylogenetic species were identified: C. melonis (1.9%), C. nymphaeae (47.4%), C. paranaense (2.4%), C. limetticola (3.4%), and C. fructicola (44.9%). In SC, Cgc predominates, but in the states of SP, PR, and RS, Cac was predominant. This is the first report of C. limetticola from apple.

Species diversity of Colletotrichum infecting Annona spp. in Brazil

Anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum species is a limiting factor in the production and commercialization of annonaceous crops in different regions of the world. In this study, 96 Colletotrichum isolates were collected from soursop and sugar apple leaves showing anthracnose symptoms in commercial plantations of the state of Alagoas, northeastern region of Brazil. To assess initially the species diversity, the isolates were identified by phylogeny based on the sequences of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene. Representative strains were selected for further identification based on multigene phylogeny analysis using sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), actin (ACT), chitin synthase (CHS-1), β-tubulin (TUB2), calmodulin (CAL), histone3 (HIS3), glutamine synthetase (GS) and (GAPDH) genes. Morpho-cultural characterization and pathogenicity tests were also performed. These analyses allowed the identification of nine species: Colletotrichum brevisporum, C. cliviae, C. fructicola, C. gigasporum, C. gloeosporioides, C. karstii, C. siamense, C. theobromicola and C. tropicale. Until now, only C. fructicola, C. gloeosporioides and C. theobromicola had been associated with anthracnose of soursop and sugar apple in Brazil. C. brevisporum, C. cliviae and C. gigasporum species are also described for the first time on annonaceous species worldwide.

Identification and selection of non-Saccharomyces strains isolate from brazilian apple must

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to know the biodiversity of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in Brazilian apples must with potential to improve of the aromatic quality of ciders. The strains were isolated from thirty-five (35) Gala and Fuji apple musts from different locations from south region of Brazil. Forty-five (45) strains were isolate and identified by PCR analysis. Results indicated ten (10) species: Candida oleophila, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, Clavispora lusitaniae, Hanseniaspora guilliermondii, Hanseniaspora uvarum, Lodderomyces elongisporus, Pichia anomala, Pichia fermentans and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. The genus Rhodotorula sp., Lodderomyces sp. and Clavispora sp. constituted 71.2% of the strains identified. The following strains, C. oleophila, R. mucilaginosa, P. fermentans, H. uvarum and H. guilliermondii were selected in qualitative tests due the fruity aroma production by trained team in the aromatic assessment of cider.

Chilling units and chilling hours for southern region of Brazil and Aomori in Japan

The brazilian apple production are located in the southern region, with the best areas in altitudes ranging from 800 to 1400 m, with great variability in the number of Chilling Hours (CH) and Chilling Units (CU) in the different regions and years. The objective of this study was to compare CH equal or below 7.2°C and CU by the North Carolina Modified model in different regions of southern Brazil, comparing with Aomori region in Japan. In Brazil was used historical data of the CH and CU from 2000 to 2016 in the municipalities of Caçador (960 m), Videira (774 m), São Joaquim (1376 m), Fraiburgo (1038 m) and Vacaria (986 m). In Aomori (2.8 m) the historical data used was from 2000 to 2011. The results shows that in southern Brazil there is a variation in the number of CH between sites and years, being greater in the sites of higher altitude, with an average of 880 CH in São Joaquim and 411 CH in Videira. When compared the brazilian regions with Aomori, the japanese region have a greater CH accumulation. Once CU have the same behavior of CH in respect to altitudes, but shows a larger variability between years in the different regions of southern Brazil, is possible to affirm that the North Carolina Modified method is more accurate to quantify the chilling in regions with large temperature fluctuations in the autumn and winter, while for regions with low thermal amplitude, the model of CH presents a better adherence.