Fresh Fruit Market Research Articles

Tropical fruit‐derived starch: An innovative strategy for high‐value nutritional processing of agricultural solid waste

AbstractTropical fruits are popular worldwide due to their appealing flavors and diverse health benefits. However, a significant amount of waste is caused by inferior fruits that are partly eliminated from the fresh fruit market and by‐products produced during transportation, storage, and processing. With increasing focus on environmental sustainability and resource conservation, recycling waste resources from tropical fruits has emerged as a hot topic of interest. Fruit‐derived starch is an emerging approach to adding value for some tropical fruit waste and inferior fruits. This review article briefly overviews extraction methods, chemical composition, structural characteristics, physical and chemical properties, physiological benefits, modification techniques, and potential applications of new tropical fruit‐derived starch. Compared with traditional starch, tropical fruit‐derived starch exhibits unique structural and processing attributes, making it suitable as a supplement or replacement for industrial starch in the food industry. Moreover, tropical fruit‐derived starch retains the rich nutrients and functional components present in fruits to some extent, thereby offering potential health benefits and greater consumer acceptance. Although current research on starch derived from tropical fruits is primarily at the laboratory stage, and there is limited exploration of its processing and application, evolving lifestyle trends and heightened health awareness are expected to foster its further development and utilization, paving the way for large‐scale commercialization and driving future market growth.

Computer-aided design and optimization of a multi-level fruit catching system for fresh-market fruit harvesting

Tree fruit harvesting is a labor-intensive operation. Multi-level fruit catching and retrieval (MFCR) systems have been proposed for the mass harvesting of soft fruits using trunk shaking. However, overcoming excessive fruit damage as fruits fall through the canopy is very challenging and requires optimization of several aspects of an MFCR’s design. In this work, we present a novel computer-aided design approach for optimizing design parameters of MFCR systems. A simplified index that utilizes geometry and simple mechanics is developed to quantify the interference between an MFCR’s catching booms and tree branches. Also, an index is introduced that utilizes geometry and simplified collision kinematics to represent accumulated damage on fruits falling through the canopy. These two indices are used in a case study to determine the optimal solution – and its sensitivity – for the number of layers of an MFCR system that maximizes marketable fruit collection over twenty digitized pear trees. In conjunction with more elaborate machine-tree-fruit interaction models, the proposed methodology can be used to optimize the design of fresh-fruit mass harvesters that utilize multi-level catching and retrieval systems.

How fruit moves: Crop systems, culture, and the making of the commercial blueberry, 1870–1930

Social Impact StatementThe history of blueberries highlights the agroecological systems, multispecies relationships, and socioeconomic factors that shape eating habits and commercial availability of food. In the United States, an elaborate and lucrative human‐managed crop system evolved around so‐called wild blueberries in the late nineteenth‐century. Blueberry domestication under the auspices of public‐private collaboration in the early twentieth century then established the foundation for today's global blueberry trade. Wild blueberries continued to occupy specific economic niches, however, and an uneasy dynamic developed between locally revered Vaccinium species and the commercial “blueberry.” In an urbanizing world of people increasingly alienated from their food sources, blueberries provide a reminder of the intricate relationships between people and plants that shape both basic prospects of survival and specific ways of life, whether for good or for ill.Summary This work examines blueberries' emergence as a commercial product and how it grew out of a history that involved multiple Vaccinium species and their convoluted interactions with human ecologies. It outlines the agroecology of the wild blueberry trade in nineteenth‐ and early twentieth‐century Maine, followed by blueberries' domestication and expanded commercialization in the 1910s and 1920s through a public‐private collaboration between USDA scientist Frederick V. Coville and New Jersey cranberry grower Elizabeth C. White. The complexity of blueberries' path to becoming a global commodity underscores the significance of cultural factors in determining how a singular “blueberry” came to be defined in the first place. The article uses a range of sources to document blueberries' history of commercialization from the late nineteenth century to the present. In particular, local newspapers from Maine made it possible to reconstruct the agroecology of the wild blueberry trade in the state in the period prior to 1920, while a variety of government documents and agricultural journals provided the key means for exploring blueberries' domestication and commercialization in the 1910s and 1920s. The article delineates the main features of the agroecology that defined Maine's wild blueberry crop system and the public‐private relationship surrounding the domestication and commercialization of blueberry culture in New Jersey. These histories ultimately underscore the interplay between regional cultures, processes of commodification, and a nationalizing economy that came to define the blueberry as a product in the fresh fruit market of the United States. Public‐private collaborations, cultural discourses, and the evolving market relations that came with the globalization of blueberry culture in the late twentieth and early twenty‐first centuries continue to reflect trends established earlier in the twentieth century. The article concludes that the emergence of “the blueberry” as a singular commercial product embodies a set of systems and relationships between plant species and human societies that blurs the boundaries between wild and domesticated, ranges in scale from the local to the global, and preserves niches for localism within a global commercial landscape that itself contains multiple species underneath a veneer of standardization. Today's globalized fresh blueberry thus contains within itself a long and convoluted history of cultivation, plant breeding, competing crop systems, market relations, and cultural constructs.

Preparing a Southern Highbush Blueberry Field for Machine Harvesting

Blueberries are grown commercially in Florida for the early-season fresh fruit market. The majority of Florida’s blueberry crop is currently harvested by hand to ensure high quality standards for fresh fruit production. However, hand harvesting is the single greatest annual production cost for Florida blueberry growers, and mechanization of berry harvests could greatly reduce production costs. This is particularly important when considering the volume of fruit imported into the United States from countries where labor rates are significantly lower. Also, at times the availability of harvest labor when needed may be an issue for Florida growers; mechanization could help address that issue. This publication provides information for commercial blueberry growers interested in adopting machine harvesting.

New fungicides for managing Phytophthora diseases of tree crops with foliar and soil applications

Four new modes of action, oxathiapiprolin, fluopicolide, mandipropamid, and ethaboxam, have or are pending registrations on multiple tree crops in the USA including avocado, citrus, almond (and other tree nuts), and stone fruits to be used in sustainable anti-resistance rotation and mixture programs for managing Phytophthora diseases. All four fungicides are highly toxic in vitro against species of Phytophthora from different tree crops. Efficacy of foliar applications of oxathiapiprolin and mandipropamid for the management of citrus brown rot persisted for over 10 weeks. Still, residues could be removed to non-detectable levels by postharvest washing and brushing of fresh-market fruit. The four fungicides were highly effective in reducing root rot and crown/trunk cankers on tree crops and demonstrated acropetal systemic movement through the xylem after soil application and absorption by almond, citrus, and cherry roots. This was substantiated by reduced lesion size in stem inoculations of potted trees that were treated by soil applications or by in vitro bioassays and HPLC–MS–MS analyses of root, stem, and leaf extracts. Using an adapted Bromilow model that is based on the partition coefficient logP that indicates the lipo- or hydrophilicity and the acid dissociation constant pKa, mobility of ethaboxam, fluopicolide, mandipropamid, and oxathiapiprolin in plants was predicted, and this was supported by our studies. Mandipropamid and a mandipropamid–oxathiapiprolin pre-mixture are now registered as foliar applications for managing citrus brown rot, whereas oxathiapiprolin and fluopicolide are registered, and ethaboxam is pending registration as soil applications to control citrus root rot. Oxathiapiprolin has also been registered for soil use on almond and other nut crops, as well as avocado, and soil applications of mandipropamid are planned to be restricted to nursery use of multiple crops.

Agronomic performance and fruit sensory and quality analyses of pineapple cultivars

The objective of this study was to assess the agronomic performance and fruit sensory and quality characteristics in traditional and modern pineapple cultivars grown in Tangara da Serra, MT, Brazil. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design, with five replications and 20 plants per plot. Planting was carried out in double rows with spacing of 1.2×0.4×0.4 m, in May 2018. The evaluated cultivars were BRS-Ajuba, BRS-Imperial, BRS-Vitoria, Gigante-de-Tarauaca, IAC-Fantastico, Jupi, Perola, and Smooth-Cayenne. Gigante-de-Tarauaca exhibited the highest fruit weight but presented low soluble solids content and soluble solids to titratable acidity ratio (SS/TA); thus, it is not recommended for fresh fruit market. Jupi exhibited fruit weights (>1500 g) suitable for the market and soluble solids above 12 °Brix, but SS/TA below 20. Considering the modern cultivars, BRS-Ajuba presented the highest fruit weight, but BRS-Imperial and IAC-Fantastico were the most attractive to consumers, as well as the traditional cultivar Perola. However, BRS-Imperial and IAC-Fantastico yield small fruits, which reduces their per-unit value in the market, as pineapples are typically valued based on their sizes.

Occurrence of Tegolophus brunneus and Phyllocoptruta oleivora (Acari: Eriophyidae) on the main citrus belt of Brazil and the differential toxicity of the acaricides to these species.

Many mites of the family Eriophyidae are important pests worldwide. In citrus crops, the eriophyid Phyllocoptruta oleivora stands out for the economic losses caused. The pest's injuries cause the darkening of leaves, twigs, and fruits, making them unfit for the fresh fruit market and affecting plant productivity. Another species that causes similar symptoms was described in Brazil recently, the brown citrus rust mite, Tegolophus brunneus. Although studies have not been performed with this species, growers and technicians have attributed the rise in rust damages in Brazil to T. brunneus, affirming that this mite is more aggressive and resistant to acaricides than P. oleivora. In this study, the distribution of T. brunneus in the main Brazilian citrus belt and the differential toxicity of the acaricides sulfur and abamectin were evaluated for both species. Infested fruits were collected from different orchards in many municipalities, covering the main citrus species and cultivars grown, aiming to show the main T. brunneus hosts. It was observed that only plants of Tahiti acid lime (Citrus latifolia) were infested by T. brunneus, whereas P. oleivora infested all citrus cultivars and species evaluated (Citrus spp.). In our study, T. brunneus and P. oleivora were never observed coinfesting the same fruit/leaf or plant. The acute toxicity test of sulfur and abamectin as acaricides showed that T. brunneus has greater tolerance to abamectin than P. oleivora. However, the acute toxicity of sulfur was similar for both species. These results showed T. brunneus specificity to infest Tahiti acid lime, causing important damage to this crop, and suggest that attention should be paid to managing this mite using abamectin.

Two adjacent NAC transcription factors regulate fruit maturity date and flavor in peach.

Although maturity date (MD) is an essential factor affecting fresh fruit marketing and has a pleiotropic effect on fruit taste qualities, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. In this study, we functionally characterized two adjacent NAM-ATAF1/2-CUC2 (NAC) transcription factors (TFs), PpNAC1 and PpNAC5, both of which were associated with fruit MD in peach. PpNAC1 and PpNAC5 were found capable of activating transcription of genes associated with cell elongation, cell wall degradation and ethylene biosynthesis, suggesting their regulatory roles in fruit enlargement and ripening. Furthermore, PpNAC1 and PpNAC5 had pleiotropic effects on fruit taste due to their ability to activate transcription of genes for sugar accumulation and organic acid degradation. Interestingly, both PpNAC1 and PpNAC5 orthologues were found in fruit-producing angiosperms and adjacently arranged in all 91 tested dicots but absent in fruitless gymnosperms, suggesting their important roles in fruit development. Our results provide insight into the regulatory roles of NAC TFs in MD and fruit taste.

Evaluation of the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of ripening mandarins

The provision and expansion of the number of mandarin varieties and hybrids are of great importance for the market of fresh fruit, as Brazilian commercial orchards are based on a small number of varieties, which contributes to cultural vulnerability. The aim of this study was to verify, by univariate analyses, the possible physicochemical and sensory differences of early mandarin varieties: Ponkan IAC172, Múscia IAC607, Span IAC595, and the hybrid TP×TM11 (Ponkan IAC172×Murcott IAC221). The variety Span IAC595 presented expressive physicochemical characteristics, besides presenting sensory characteristics compatible with consumer preferences and a relation superior to the other varieties studied. The hybrid TM×TP11 obtained the lowest preference, demonstrating that attributes such as ease of peeling, skin color, and size are important in consumer's choice, indicating an importance of the studied attributes for the preference of a mandarin, that must be considered in the production of new varieties for the fresh fruit market.

First Report of Cladosporium ramotenellum Causing Sooty Spot on Postharvest Clementines in the United States.

In 2022, post-harvest symptoms of black spots were observed at an incidence of 2-5% on easy peeling clementines (citrus × clementina) in a fresh fruit market in Phoenix metropolitan area, Arizona. Black lesions on the fruit rind were superficial, circular, dry, and firm with gray sporulation. Gray or black aerial mycelium was also noticed on top of the black spots. Black spots were distributed over the entire fruit surface without any regular patterns. Maceration of rind and flesh was also noticed under refrigerated storage conditions. Two isolates were obtained (S13 and S14) and cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 25oC for 14 days. The colony color and texture of both isolates were identical on PDA: olivaceous black with abundant sporulation, margin entire edge to slightly undulate. Conidia were 0-1 septate and globose or ellipsoid with sizes ranging from 4-10 × 2-4 μm (n = 15). Ramoconida were also 0-1 septate and ellipsoid to cylindrical with sizes ranging from 15-30 × 2-5 μm (n = 15). Conidiophore had a width of 3-6 μm (n = 15). Isolates were identified as Cladosporium ramotenellum based on these morphological features (Bensch et al. 2012). The IDs of these two isolates were further confirmed by genomic DNA isolation, PCR amplification and sequencing of the ITS1-5S-ITS2-28S region of rDNA (V9G/LR5 de Hoog and Gerrits van den 1998, primers ITS4/ITS5 White et al.), actin gene (ACT-512F/ACT-783R, Carbone and Kohn 1999), and elongation factor 1α gene (EF1-1018F/EF1-1620R, Stielow 2015). Sequences of the two isolates were identical and thus only one sequence of each gene was deposited in the GenBank. A BLASTn search of actin sequence (233-bp, OQ185511) revealed 99.1% match with ex-type sequence EF 679538 (strain CBS:121628) of C. ramotenellum holotype (query coverage: 97%). BLASTn analysis of a portion of EF-1α gene (579-bp, OQ185512) revealed more than 99.7% similarity with sequences KU933429 (ATCC strain 16022) and MT881827 (strain 18EPLE003) of C. ramotenellum (query coverage: 100%). The ITS sequence (1519-bp, OQ236707) was identical to the ITS sequences of C. ramotenellum strains in easy peeler mandarins from Peru (Murciano et al. 2021). Pathogenicity tests were carried out twice on fresh easy-peeling clementine fruit. The inocula (1 x 105 spores/ml) were prepared in sterile distilled water containing 0.1% Tween 20 (TW) by mixing the conidial suspensions of two isolates from 7-day-old PDA cultures. Ten fruit were washed, surface sanitized with 70% ethanol, and wound-inoculated by immersing five fruit in spore suspension for 1 min. Five control fruit were wound-inoculated with TW. Inoculated and control fruit were stored in separate zip-lock bags for one week. Black spots resembling those observed on naturally infected fruit were present on inoculated fruit, while control fruit remained symptomless. C. ramotenellum was reisolated and was morphologically identical to the original isolates, thus completing Koch's postulates. C. ramotenellum has been reported as a fungal pathogen causing sooty spots on easy peeler mandarins from Peru (Murciano et al. 2021). To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. ramotenellum causing postharvest sooty spot and decay on clementines in the United States. Results show that infected fruit is potentially a pathogen source for long-distance dispersal. This occurrence was communicated to the state regulatory agencies for regulatory actions on imports of citrus fruit from countries with the occurrence of C. ramotenellum.

Reaction of Mandarins to the Alternaria Brown Spot and Huanglongbing: Identification of Potential Varieties for These Diseases to Be Managed in the Field

Mandarins occupy the third group among citrus produced in Brazil. Primarily aimed at the fresh fruit market, commercial orchards have suffered significant production losses due to the high incidence of diseases, such as the alternaria brown spot (ABS) and huanglongbing (HLB). The fact that 80% of the orchards are composed of two varieties, Ponkan mandarin and Murcott tangor, which are highly susceptible to both diseases, demands intensive chemical control of the diseases in the field, which has resulted in a significant increase in production costs and a negative environmental impact. A total of one hundred and seventy-three mandarin accessions, including several species and hybrids belonging to the Collections of the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC), were evaluated in the field in an endemic location for the diseases. Evaluations of the incidence and severity of the diseases showed a range of genotypes tolerant to ABS that could replace the current commercial varieties, mainly within the clementine and willow leaf mandarin groups. Although, with differences in incidence and susceptibility to HLB, there are no tolerant varieties to this disease, which significantly impacts the loss of fruit quality.

Proposition of critical levels of nutrients in citrus leaves, grown in a subtropical climate, for fresh market fruit production

Critical levels (CL) and sufficiency ranges (SR) of nutrients in citrus leaves for fruit production for fresh market consumption may help in defining the real need for fertilizer application in orchards, such as those located in tropical and subtropical soils, which have low natural fertility. The study aimed to establish and compare the nutritional patterns obtained by the Composition Nutritional Diagnosis method (CND) in citrus grown for consumption for fresh, in a subtropical climate and then generate CL and SR in leaves. A database was used with fruit production and leaf nutrient contents obtained in the 2016/17, 2017/18, 2019/20 and 2020/21 harvests in non-irrigated commercial orange and tangerine orchards. The multivariate CND calculation method was used. The CND method was effective in diagnosing the nutritional status of citrus, regarding the concentration of the nutrients N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn and B in deficient, adequate and excessive concentrations. The CL calculated were 18, 1.2, 9.0, 25, 2.8 and 3.0 g kg−1 of N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S, respectively, and 117, 45, 97, 66 and 19 mg kg−1 of B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn, respectively. The existing recommendation in the regional recommendation guide for citrus may be overestimating the need for application of the micronutrients. The SRs established from the CND index are different from those obtained in other countries and regions. Multi-nutrient associations were more effective than single nutrient analysis in expressing that limitation of a particular element can reduce citrus productivity. The adoption of the nutritional standards for macronutrients obtained may allow the rational use of fertilizers in citrus orchards, with an improvement in the nutritional balance of the plants, which will consequently have greater yields.

Bright red passion fruit - evaluation of colorimetry and physicochemical quality for the fresh fruit market

The species Passiflora edulis Sims has varieties that produce fruits with colors that vary yellow to reddish purple and dark purple, all of which are well adapted to Brazil's varied climatic conditions. In the foreign market, demand is greatest for the variety Passiflora edulis f. edulis Sims, or pure purple passion fruit (gulupa), whose adaptation is more restricted to cool and upland regions. The Embrapa Cassava and Fruits research unit (Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura) generated a variety of passion fruit derived from P. edulis with reddish-purple fruits, aiming at the identification of genotypes with lower acidity and greater fruit sweetness to supply the fresh fruit market. A half-sib population of 83 P edulis genotypes, segregated for light red to purple and yellow color, was evaluated. For previous selection, the fruits were tested based on sweetness, and 67 genotypes were identified, while the other genotypes constituted the population of origin. Fruit weight, pulp and peel weight, juice yield, soluble solids content (SS), titratable acidity (TA) and SS/TA ratio were evaluated, in addition to colorimetric evaluation CIE-LAB (L*a*b*) . For physical traits, there was no significant difference between the pre-selected and original populations. For the chemical characteristics of the pulp, variation was observed only in titratable acidity (TA), which was 38% lower in the pre-selected population, resulting in a 43% increase in the SS/TA ratio. High correlations were not observed between the colorimetric parameters (L*, a* and b*) of the peel and pulp as well as TA and SS/TA. The heritability (h2) of the evaluated traits was high (66.40% to 86.25%), and 26 genotypes were chosen (ratio from 7.0 to 15.29) with 33.12% lower acidity and 39.84% higher ratio in the next selection cycle. These selected individuals are favorable to development of a passion fruit cultivar with sweeter flavor to supply the domestic and foreign fresh fruit markets.

Recent progress and future prospects for mechanized harvesting of fruit crops with shaking systems

Mechanized harvesting technologies with shaking systems for fruit industry have been widely investigated and significantly developed over the past several decades which were presented by a large amount of literature. This paper reviews the research and development progress of mechanized harvesting of fruits systematically with a focus on the theoretical study, fruit crop variety, shaking system categories, abscission chemical agents, and their actual applications. Based on the comprehensive review, mechanized harvesting systems for different fruit crops appear multifarious shaking modes with various vibratory mechanisms and structural dimensions. Major advantages in the development of fruit mechanical harvesting with effective vibratory patterns and catching frames provide a series of economic and agronomic benefits, such as reducing labor costs, promoting standardized planting, and increasing productivity. However, fruit injury and tree damage are the main reasons why mechanical shaking systems are rarely used for fresh fruit harvesting because of tenderness and frangibility of the fruit crops. Therefore, more efforts should be concentrated on the innovative shake-and-catch system with suitable frequency and amplitude to achieve low fruit damage or even nondestructive harvesting for fresh fruit market. This overview summarized the advantages and bottlenecks of these shaking systems for fruit harvesting and proposed the challenges and some constructive prospective viewpoints aimed at the major issues of mechanical harvesting techniques. In addition, employing sorting technologies to classify the postharvest fruits provide a new direction for the further development of mechanized harvesting in high-value fruit crops, as well as bring more benefits to growers and increase their interest in equipment investment on the mechanical shaking harvester for the fruit industry. Keywords: fruit crop, mechanized harvesting, shaking system, fruit injury, postharvest classification DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20231601.7954 Citation: Pu Y J, Wang S M, Yang F Z, Ehsani R, Zhao L J, Li C S, Xie S Y, et al. Recent progress and future prospects for mechanized harvesting of fruit crops with shaking systems. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2023; 16(1): 1–13.

Screening of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Strains from Sourdoughs for Biosuppression of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae and Botrytis cinerea in Table Grapes.

Grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) are an essential crop for fresh consumption and wine production. Vineyards are attacked by several economically important bacterial and fungal diseases that require regular pesticide treatment. Among them, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae (Ps. syringae) and Botrytis cinerea (B. cinerea) infections cause huge economic losses. The fresh fruit market has shifted to functional natural foodstuffs with clear health benefits and a reduced use of chemicals along the production chain. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have a biopreservative effect and are applied to ensure food safety in response to consumers' demands. In the present study, the possibilities of using microorganisms with a potential antimicrobial effect against Ps. syringae and B. cinerea in the production of table grapes were investigated. LAB of the genus Lactiplantibacillus can be a natural antagonist of pathogenic bacteria and fungi by releasing lactic acid, acetic acid, ethanol, carbon dioxide and bacteriocins in the medium. The present study focuses on the characterization of nine Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (Lp. plantarum) strains isolated from spontaneously fermented sourdoughs. Species-specific PCR identified the isolated LAB for partial recA gene amplification with an amplicon size of 318 bp. RAPD-PCR analysis showed the intraspecific diversity of the individual strains. Thirteen plantaricin-like peptides (PlnA, PlnB, PlnC, PlnD, PlnEF, PlnG, PlnI, PlnJ, PlnK, PlnN, PlnNC8, PlnS, and PlnW) produced by isolated Lp. plantarum strains were detected by PCR with gene-specific primers. The key features for future industrial applications were their antimicrobial properties. The culture medium and cell-free supernatant (CFS) were used to establish in vitro antimicrobial activities of Lp. plantarum strains against Ps. syringae and B. cinerea, and inhibition of phytopathogen development was observed. The inhibitory effect of the CFS (cell-free supernatant) of all strains was assessed by infecting table grapes with these pathogens in in vivo experiments. Lp. plantarum Q4 showed the most effective suppression of the pathogens both in vitro and in vivo, which indicates its potential use as a biocontrol agent against berry rot and grey rot on grapes, caused by Ps. syringae and B. cinerea.

A novel postharvest preservation technology of fruit—Intermittent high oxygen treatment: A case study on “Lingwu” long jujube

Fresh “Lingwu” long jujube (Ziziphus jujuba cv. Mill) fruit is susceptible to softening, water loss, and flavor change during storage. The effect of intermittent high oxygen treatment (IHOT) on the quality of jujube was investigated, which was immersed in the oxygen concentration of 50% and 90% for 30 min every week along with 8 weeks of storage at 0 ± 1°C. Significantly, the firmness, weight loss, soluble solids content (SSC), and membrane integrity were significantly retarded in 50% and 90% IHOT. Meanwhile, the activities of peroxidase (POD) were maintained a higher level after 35 d storage in 50% IHOT. And the activities of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) were significantly inhibited, and the peak was delayed by 50% IHOT. Furthermore, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity was barely changed during the first 28 days of storage, and the lowest enzymatic activity was shown later in the 50% IHOT. These results indicated that the short-term HOIT with appropriate concentration (50%) delayed the softening, maintained the moisture content and membrane integrity, and modulated key metabolic pathways of jujube fruit. As a whole, the applicability of IHOT could prolonged the shelf life of fresh jujube, which shows a great potential, in the application of fruit preservation. Practical applications Evaluation of different oxygen concentrations and treated models on jujube fruit helps the development of preservation technology for extending the shelf life of fruits. The application of intermittent high oxygen treatment to the fruits and vegetables was helpful to a novel postharvest preservation technology and the development of the fresh jujube fruit market.

Sugar, Acid and Phenols in Fruit of the Sharka-Tolerant Autochthonous Plum Genotype ‘Mrkosljiva’

The self-rooted plum genotype ‘Mrkosljiva’ was first selected as it was devoid of Sharka leaf symptoms during the 5‑year study (2009–2014), which was subsequently confirmed by negative ELISA test results. Hence, the aim of the study was to investigate the biochemical variability of the autochthonous ‘Mrkosljiva’ plum genotype, based on its sugar, acid and phenolic compounds content during 3 years. In 2010 and 2011, the plums tasted sweet with favourable sugar:acid ratios of 55:1 to 65:1. These plum fruits were collected at the full ripeness stage from an extensive orchard located in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina (45 °N). Analysis by HPLC identified the following polyphenolic compounds—chlorogenic acid, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside, neochlorogenic acid, quercetin-3-O-galactoside and quercetin-3-O-rutinoside—in all 3 years that were evaluated (2009–2011), but in different amounts, depending on the environmental conditions of each year. In 2009, the plums were healthier with a threefold greater phenol content than during the other 2 years of growth. In 2009, protocatechuic acid was detected, whereas catechin, procyanidin B1, procyanidin B2 and quercetin-3‑O-rhamnoside were not detected. The combination of high phenol and sugar content in ‘Mrkosljiva’ provides healthy and tasty plums suitable primarily for processing, and to a lesser extent, due to their size, for fresh fruit marketing.

A strawberry harvest‐aiding system with crop‐transport collaborative robots: Design, development, and field evaluation

AbstractMechanizing the manual harvesting of fresh market fruits constitutes one of the biggest challenges to the sustainability of the fruit industry. During manual harvesting of some fresh‐market crops like strawberries and table grapes, pickers spend significant amounts of time walking to carry full trays to a collection station at the edge of the field. A step toward increasing harvest automation for such crops is to deploy harvest‐aid collaborative robots (co‐bots) that transport empty and full trays, thus increasing harvest efficiency by reducing pickers' non‐productive walking times. This study presents the development of a co‐robotic harvest‐aid system and its evaluation during commercial strawberry harvesting. At the heart of the system lies a predictive stochastic scheduling algorithm that minimizes the expected non‐picking time, thus maximizing the harvest efficiency. During the evaluation experiments, the co‐robots improved the mean harvesting efficiency by around 10% and reduced the mean non‐productive time by 60%, when the robot‐to‐picker ratio was 1:3. The concepts developed in this study can be applied to robotic harvest‐aids for other manually harvested crops that involve walking for crop transportation.

Marketing Channels of Herbal Products and a New Marketing Model Proposal; a case study of Iğdır Province

Türkiye tarımında yaşanan önemli sorunlardan biri ürünlerin pazarlanmasıyla ilgilidir. Bu nedenle, mevcut durum analizine dayalı uygulanabilir önerilerin geliştirilmesi sürdürülebilir bir pazarlama siteminin kurulabilmesi için önemlidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı mikro klima özelliğinden dolayı oldukça yüksek bitkisel üretim potansiyeline sahip olan Iğdır ilinde bitkisel üretim yapan çiftçilerin ürün gruplarına göre üretim ve pazarlama yapısını tespit ederek bu alanda yaşanılan sorunlara çözüm önerileri getirmektir. Basit Tesadüfi Örnekleme Yığın Oran Tahmini Yöntemi kullanılarak belirlenen 237 çiftçi ile 2019 yılı üretim döneminde yapılan anket çalışmasından elde edilen veriler çalışmanın ana materyalini oluşturmaktadır. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre tarla ürünlerinden buğday ve arpa önemli oranda Toprak Mahsulleri Ofisi (TMO) aracılığı ile silajlık mısır, dane mısır ve pamuk ise tüccar aracılığı ile pazarlanmaktadır. Domates, salatalık, kayısı ve elma gibi yaş meyve ve sebzelerin pazarlanması ise büyük ölçüde komisyoncu ve tüccar kanalıyla yapılmaktadır. Üretim ve pazarlama ile ilgili önemli sorunlar arasında; girdi fiyatlarının yüksek olması, yetiştirme tekniği noksanlığı, sulama suyu ve toptancı halinin yetersizliği ile pazarlama kooperatiflerinin bulunmaması gelmektedir. Çözüm önerileri olarak, uygun fiyata sulama suyu ve girdi temini ile yetiştirme teknikleri ve örgütlenme konusunda eğitimlerin verilerek kamu desteğinin sağlanması sayılabilir. Ayrıca yaş meyve ve sebzelerin daha kolay ve değer fiyattan pazarlanabilmesi için devlet kurumlarınca denetlenen, kooperatif ve toptancı hallerinin entegre olduğu bir model oluşturulabilir.

On-line marketing of fresh fruits by New Farmers: Use of a WeChat platform in China

The internet of things has revolutionized Chinese agricultural production and marketing sectors, creating “New Farmers.” WeChat is one of the most popular social media platforms in China, and WeChat marketing of agricultural products has become a widespread phenomenon. To respond to the quality and safety concerns of consumers on the social media marketing platform, New Farmers should pay more attention and maintain the quality and safety of the agricultural products they sell on WeChat. Our objective is to understand the determinants influencing the New Farmers' quality and safety knowledge of the fresh fruits they sell on WeChat. For this purpose, we collected data in 2018 from a sample of 504 purely sales-oriented New Farmers in China. We analyzed the influence of WeChat marketing, food safety awareness, personal characteristics, and external factors on purely sales-oriented New Farmers' quality and safety knowledge related to the fresh fruits they sell on WeChat based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response framework. Results indicated that purely sales oriented New Farmers' ranking of their understanding of the quality and safety status (pesticides, fertilizers, and quality and safety certifications) of the fruits depend on factors such as consumers' consultation frequency about quality and safety information to New Farmers, consumers' word of mouth, sales status of fruits, WeChat regulation, quality and safety awareness of New Farmers, gender, training received, government regulations, and consumers attention to food safety. The findings should be helpful to strengthen the quality and safety management, training, and supervision of New Farmers.