Fresh Market Research Articles

Evaluation of Spinach Cultivars for Resistance to Stemphylium Leaf Spot (Stemphylium vesicarium) and White Rust (Albugo occidentalis)

Stemphylium leaf spot, caused by Stemphylium vesicarium, and white rust, caused by Albugo occidentalis, can cause significant losses in spinach production. Management of these foliar diseases of spinach has become increasingly challenging with the development of fungicide resistance in some pathogen populations, high planting density and overhead irrigation used for baby leaf spinach production, and the fact that >60% of fresh market spinach production in the United States is certified organic. To identify spinach cultivars with resistance to Stemphylium leaf spot and white rust, a field trial was performed near Crystal City, TX, USA, in 2021 (79 cultivars), 2022 (87 cultivars), and 2023 (63 cultivars). Each year, the plants were inoculated with S. vesicarium and rated for disease severity. Plants were also rated for white rust severity that resulted from natural infection during the 2021 and the 2022 trials. During each trial, 11% to 27% of the cultivars were identified as resistant to Stemphylium leaf spot, and another 29% to 48% had moderately resistant reactions. In contrast, only 5 of 79 cultivars (6%) in the 2021 trial did not develop symptoms of white rust, and all 87 cultivars evaluated in the 2022 trial had symptoms of white rust. Although there was no significant correlation between mean Stemphylium leaf spot ratings and mean white rust ratings during these trials, the cultivars Colusa, Kodiak, PV-1569, and PV-1664 displayed resistant or moderately resistant responses to both diseases in at least two trials. Therefore, processing and fresh market spinach growers have resistant cultivars from which to select to reduce the economic impacts of Stemphylium leaf spot and white rust.

The Reasons on The Worse Situation of Canon Cameras

Canon cameras have gained appeal as a result of the popularity of social media. However, the declining camera market during the epidemic has had an impact on Canon due to a decrease in non-essential purchases. The purpose of this study is to analyze why Canon's market performance has been less than stellar since the epidemic. Using Canon's global camera market as an example, market sales and segmentation data from 2020 will be analyzed. Existing academic research and papers will also be quoted to demonstrate Canon's market evaluation. Canon should incorporate more of its brand identity to address its innovation challenges. In order to address Canon's brand loyalty issue, it is proposed that Canon re-launch fresh marketing strategies and invite professionals to promote the products. To attract this customer segment, it is advised that Canon continue production of point-and-shoot cameras or expand the experience of unprofessional young people. This study's research value is to fill an academic void in the analysis of Canon's market performance, which is not as good as it once was, and to make recommendations for Canon's future development.

International market concentration of fresh blueberries in the period 2001—2020

There were no studies about the structure of the international fresh blueberry market in developing countries for contributing to the development of strategies and policies for the production, imports, and exports of fresh blueberries in the involved countries. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the structure of the international fresh blueberry market in the period 2001–2020. The research design was non-experimental, and longitudinal, with trends on per capita consumption, the market concentration index, and a multiple linear regression model. It was concluded that per capita consumption is led by Canada and the USA and that the concentration indices of the four main countries [CR(4)] of production, imports, and exports went from very high concentration levels to high concentration levels. The eight main countries [CR(8)] of production and exports were at a very high level and imports went from a very high level to a high level; in addition, the Herfindal–Hirschman-Index (HHI) of production was at a highly concentrated level: (a) highly concentrated level in imports in the period 2001–2018, (b) moderately concentrated from 2019 in imports, (c) highly concentrated in exports in the period 2001–2009, (d) moderately concentrated in exports in the period 2010–2018, and (e) not concentrated in exports as of 2019; in addition, the multiple linear regression model showed that per capita consumption, market share, price, and production contribute with 94.3% of the explanation of the variability of fresh blueberry exports. Finally, it was recommended to study the blueberry consumption habits and access restrictions to other international markets for increasing blueberry exports.

Small-Scale Juicing of Florida-Grown 'UFSun' Peaches

Peaches are a promising option for the Florida agricultural industry with plenty of revenue streams including fresh market, U-pick, and retail sales, as well as alternatives in the juicing and fermentation industries. This publication discusses a 2018 case study completed on a Florida peach cultivar. ‘UFSun’ were harvested, processed into juice, and analyzed for sugar content, juice yield, and general economic feasibility. UF/IFAS has bred peach cultivars that grow commercially in tropical and subtropical climates such as Florida’s and are harvest-ready two months before the rest of the United States, offering competitive advantages. Unfortunately, their small size renders them less profitable in fresh markets compared to larger non-Florida cultivars. Knowing the processing characteristics of Florida peaches provides valuable information for peach farmers who are considering using their peaches for juicing, fermentation, and similar purposes.

An ARIMA-based study of pricing and replenishment decisions for vegetable commodities

Fresh produce superstores face many challenges as an important part of the livelihood industry. The short freshness period and variable quality make their daily sales efficiency crucial. A simple, efficient and applicable decision model for supermarkets is beneficial to further promote the healthy and sustainable development of the fresh food market and the overall livelihood industry. In order to predict the daily replenishment and pricing strategy of each vegetable category in the coming week, the key lies in analyzing the supermarket's historical data. Since the sales volume shows strong cyclical fluctuations, the time series model ARIMA is chosen for this purpose to observe the model training and predict the pricing of different categories of products in the next 7 days. Due to the cost-plus pricing mechanism of the superstore, after processing the data, we selected simple linear regression model, multiple linear regression model and nonlinear regression model to fit the data, and opted for multiple linear regression to get the sales volume on the cost-plus pricing of the fitting formula, taking into account the discount rate of the different types of vegetables, we corrected the sales volume of the six types of vegetables, and ultimately obtained the superstore's daily replenishment and pricing strategy for the next seven days.

Cropping and Fruit Quality of Plum (Prunus domestica) Varieties on Different Rootstocks in a Young Orchard

In Hungary, plum cultivation in earlier years was mainly for processing purposes, and a suitable cultivation system and rootstock use had been developed. For this reason, the rootstock usage is rather uniform, with 95–97% of nurseries applying Myrobalan seedlings. Growing plums for the fresh market is much more profitable but it requires hand-picked trees. For small trees that can be picked standing on the ground and for high yields, we need to find rootstocks suited to the Hungarian climate. In our experiment, two types of evaluation were performed: evaluation block A with three varieties on two rootstocks and evaluation block B with two varieties on three rootstocks. The varieties were ‘Topfive’, ‘Toptaste’, ‘Čačanska lepotica’ and ‘Jojo’. The rootstocks were the traditional Myrobalan and the rootstocks worthy of testing in Hungary: St Julien GF655/2, St Julien A, and Fereley. The experiments were carried out in Kecskemét, Hungary, in a dry lowland climate. Evaluations were performed by one- and two-factor analyses of variance, and means were separated by the Duncan test. As a result, we found that in the evaluation block A trees of ‘Toptaste’ showed lower vigour and cumulative yield but higher yield efficiency. The trees on St Julien A proved to be more productive in cropping years and showed higher yield efficiency compared to Myrobalan. In evaluation block B, there was no difference in growth vigour between either varieties or rootstocks. Trees of ‘Toptaste’ showed higher cumulative yield compared to ‘Topfive’. However, the cumulative yield of trees did not show significant differences; the yield efficiency of ‘Topfive’ was highest on Fereley rootstock. Regarding fruit quality parameters, our study showed differences in fruit maturity and varietal characteristics. Considering the intensive orchard system with spindle trees, St. Julian A proved to be a more productive and precocious rootstock compared to Myrobalan seedling, while for ‘Toptaste’ variety the rootstock Fereley showed certain advantages. ‘Topfive’ proved to be unsuitable for our site conditions.

Questioning the disposability of plastic packaging: Consumer challenges to fresh food packaging market devices and their afterlives

ABSTRACT Disposable plastic packaging has been conceptualised as a market device that has effects on the functioning of economic markets. It is particularly influential in food retail environments but also has significant environmental consequences. Consumers are aware of these issues, and this paper addresses their questions and objections to the packaging market device for fresh food. Drawing on empirical insights from 28 interviews and 25 completed research diaries conducted as part of the ‘Reducing plastic packaging and food waste through product innovation simulation’ project, these contestations are explored in a number of ways. Firstly, it explores how such objections become possible and the role of unintended consequences of marketing arrangements. Secondly, conflicting ontologies of freshness are examined, as they also create the potential for objections. Thirdly, the paper engages with the role of responsibility, looking at how municipal recycling systems and packaging design enable contestations. Exploring these contestations contributes to an understanding of how we can address non-market effects of market devices, once they have left the physical spaces associated with market activity and moved into other spheres of activity. It also holds several contributions for debates concerning consumer engagement and acceptance of plastic packaging and plastics policy discourses more broadly.

Optimization of Open Distribution Path for Rural Fresh Food under Genetic Algorithm

In recent years, as the market scale of China's cold chain logistics continues to expand, the use of fresh food e-commerce platforms such as Temu, Taocaicai, and Meituan Grocery has become more and more popular in rural areas. In order to reduce the cost of rural fresh logistics, this paper introduces the fresh electricity supplier "community group purchase" distribution mode, starting from improving the distribution efficiency of rural fresh logistics, and comprehensively considering the commodity demand of rural users, the freshness of fresh goods delivered to users, open route planning distribution vehicles and other factors. A capacity-constrained open vehicle routing optimization model with the goal of minimizing the total distribution cost was constructed and solved by genetic algorithm. This paper proves that the open vehicle distribution can improve the efficiency of logistics distribution more effectively, reduce the total cost of logistics distribution, and promote the development of rural fresh food market.

Studies on the Use of Aquatic Food in Pakistan

The natural resources of Pakistan, such as the Arabian Sea, the Indus Delta, dams, lakes, and mountain streams, present a variety of marine and inland fisheries potentials. These resources support numerous species with dietary and economic value. Fish and other aquatic food are major sources of protein for native people and animal populations worldwide. Fish accounts for 7% of the protein in diet and 17% in animal protein. Fish production in Pakistan rose from 214,231 metric tonnes in 1973 to 733,025 metric tonnes in 2021 at a rate of 4.9% per annum. During the same period, the amount of fish used for human consumption went from 99,368 metric tonnes to 500,866, at an annual rate of 9.7%. Fish export had increased at the rate of 18.6% from 24,623 metric tonnes in 1980 to 217,030 metric tonnes in 2021. The export values reached 496 million US$ in 2022-23. In 2021, fish imports totalled 5,770 metric tonnes. Fish for human consumption in aquatic food chains are typically sold in canned, frozen, cured, or fresh forms. Fresh marketing, freezing, and canning all require special equipment, which involves high capital costs. However, curing is a simple, low-cost preservation process that doesn't involve much in the way of material or capital expenditures. Frozen fishery products are dominant with 85%, followed by live (7%), dried (6%) and chilled (2%). Fish is also processed into meal before being added to animal feed; the bulk of processed fishmeal is used for chicken feed. 16% of the total fish production was converted to fishmeal production. With 25 currently in operation in Karachi and 30 in Gwadar, the country’s fish processing facilities are somewhat old and equipped with outdated machinery. Particularly for rural populations, fisheries resources offer sustainable development, employment opportunities, and financial rewards. Additionally, it has been noted that export statistics for fisheries are not adequately reported, which is necessary for them to be comparable to those of other countries. The study also provides sources for fisheries statistics.

The effect of COVID-19 containment measures on fresh food market vendors in Uganda

PurposeThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic continues to impact economic systems, with devastating consequences on livelihoods. Anecdotal evidence has predicted the adverse effects of COVID-19 on the livelihood of food system actors. Uganda experienced two lockdowns in March 2020 and June 2021 with varying government containment measures. During the first lockdown, fresh food market vending was deemed essential to meet urban food demand, and was consequently exempted from a total shutdown despite the ban on public and private transport. Thus, this study sought to examine the effect of COVID-19 containment measures on fresh food market vending businesses in Uganda.Design/methodology/approachUsing primary data collected from fresh food market vendors, this study applied a pooled time-series estimation to examine the effect of the first lockdown COVID-19 containment measures on fresh food vendors' welfare.FindingsThe study revealed that COVID-19 had a significant negative impact on the income of fresh food vendors, with female vendors being the most affected. COVID-19 containment measures reduced the diversity of buyers, individual customers and the number of commodities traded in causing a greater impact on vendors' income.Research limitations/implicationsThe unavailability of data for vendors who did not return to the market at the time of data collection limits the scope of the study. Additionally, the absence of data for the second lockdown limited the analysis to only March 2020 lockdown period.Originality/valueThe empirical analysis highlights how vulnerabilities of different gender categories could be exacerbated by crises. The study provides empirical evidence of various market distortions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the disproportionate impact on women and men market vendors which calls for the need to integrate women's perspectives in future planning for market systems as well as advocating for gender-sensitive recovery responses.

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.

Upcycling of food waste generated from the fresh market by utilising black soldier fly larvae: Influence on growth, bioconversion, and nutritional composition

Innovative solutions are needed to limit environmental effect and optimise resource use as food waste generation rises worldwide. This study investigates the potential of upcycling food waste from fresh markets using Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL) as a sustainable approach. This study explored four fresh market food waste substrates for BSFL bioconversion: discarded fish waste (FI), slaughtered chicken waste (CHI), vegetable waste (VEG), and a 1:1:1 combination of all three (MIX). Soybean curd residue (SCR) was treated as the control substrate. The effects on larval growth, nutritional content, and waste bioconversion rates were examined. The larvae growth rate was strongly impacted by waste type, with BSF-fed CHI and MIX gaining 18.0 and 16.7 mg/d, respectively, followed by BSF-fed with SCR (12.2 mg/d), FI (8.9 mg/d) and VEG (7.6 mg/d). The waste type did not substantially alter BSFL length. The survival rate of the BSFL fed with the food waste studied ranges from 95 to 98.47%, with SCR being the highest. Our findings indicated that BSFL can effectively convert a variety of fresh market food waste into valuable biomass. CHI waste produced the highest larval biomass and bioconversion rate followed by MIX, SCR, FI and VEG. The different waste stream has a major influence on BSFL biomass nutrition. BSFL nutritional composition is independent of the substrate’s nutritional content, indicating no direct correlation between substrate and BSFL biomass nutritional composition. SCR waste produced the highest protein content of BSFL (50.49%), followed by VEG (32.61%), MIX (32.57%), FI (31.03%) and CHI (29.06%). SCR waste also produced BSFL biomass with lowest lipid content (26.55%) compared to other waste which resulted into BSFL with lipid levels ranging from 42.92% to 53.72%. BSFL-fed with SCR is the most suitable to be used as an alternative animal’s feed based on the protein and lipid levels, while defatting procedure is necessary for the other waste-fed BSFL to render it suitability as animal feed alternatives. Based on bioconversion rate, BSFL growth, and lipid content, the MIX and CHI waste might be viable substrates for future research.

Nano and chelated iron fertilization influences marketable yield, phytochemical properties, and antioxidant capacity of tomatoes.

Iron (Fe) is one of the limiting micronutrients essential for crop productivity. The goal of our study was to evaluate the effects of different sources and rates of Fe fertilization on the marketable yield, physical and chemical properties, and phytochemical quality of fresh market tomatoes (Solanum Lycopersicum L., cv. Sunbrite). A factorial experiment under a drip-irrigated plasticulture system was conducted in a completely randomized design with two sources of Fe (nano vs. chelated) and four rates of application (0, 10, 20, and 40 mg/L) with four replications. Results indicated that relative chlorophyll concentration in the leaf (SPAD index) increased significantly (by 24 to 27%) with 10 and 20 mg/L of both nano- and chelated Fe fertilization compared to the control. Increasing Fe fertilization decreased the leaf SPAD readings. The total fruit yield of tomato was 1.6 to 1.8 times higher under the chelated- and nano Fe fertilization and the increase in yield was significantly higher under the chelated Fe fertilization, when compared to the control. In contrast, the tomato harvest index was highest under 10 and 20 mg/L of nano Fe than under other Fe treatments. While the chelated Fe fertilized tomatoes had significantly higher concentrations of vitamin C (34%), ß-carotene (6%), total carotene (25%), flavonoid (17%), and polyphenol (66%), the nano Fe, in contrast, increased ß-carotene, total carotene, and polyphenol concentrations by 25, 33, 51, and 7%, respectively, compared to the control. The 20 mg/L chelated Fe significantly increased the vitamin C, total carotene, flavonoid, polyphenol concentration, and antioxidant capacity more than any other Fe treatments. Based on the principal components analyses, vitamin C, lycopene, and anthocyanin were identified as the core indicators of the tomato nutrition quality index (NQIndex). The NQIndex ranged from 47 to 54, falling within the medium level of nutritional quality (40 to <70). In conclusion, the chelated Fe, when applied at 20 mg/L, was the most appropriate rate based on highly correlated connectivity for the phytochemicals syntheses associated with the improved tomato antioxidant capacity.

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.

Economic Impact of Plantain Ripening: A Case Study Among Plantain Traders in Accra

ABSTRACT Over 70% of plantain produced in Ghana is traded along the fresh market which is a hotspot for postharvest loss. This study sought to assess the economic impact of plantain ripening among traders in three satellite markets of Accra. Using the interview technique, primary data was obtained from 320 respondents within 3 satellite markets. Ripening was found to increase the market value of plantain whereas over-ripening reduced the market value of plantain. Money to the tune of over two million cedis (one hundred and seventy-four thousand dollars) was lost by weekly plantain retailers and suppliers in the three satellite markets. Poor road network and market environment were the key causes of postharvest of plantain amongst traders in the 3 satellite markets. Two identified solution gaps that can curb the accrued loss along the plantain supply chain include the provision of tailored business development services to plantain traders and the development of marketable food applications of over-ripe plantain that advances the circular economy agenda.

Effects of Rootstock and Location on Open Field ‘BHN 589’ and ‘Nebraska Wedding’ Grafted Tomato Yield

Grafted tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) production is popular, particularly in high tunnels, because grafted plants can mitigate soilborne disease incidence in highly infested soils and increase water and nutrient use efficiency and crop yield and quality. However, these potential benefits are not as well documented in open field production systems with less disease pressure. The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of tomato grafting on fruit yield, number, and size across 2 years (2018 and 2019) and three diverse open-field production environments in Nebraska (Lincoln, North Platte, and Dwight). At each location, a scion from one of two determinant fresh market tomatoes, ‘Nebraska Wedding’ (heirloom) or ‘BHN 589’ (commercial hybrid), were grafted onto one of two rootstocks, ‘Estamino’ and ‘Maxifort,’ and the nongrafted scion cultivars were controls. In year 2, a fertilizer treatment was introduced (0 and 50 kg·ha−1 N). Ripe tomatoes were harvested weekly, sorted as marketable or cull, counted, and weighed fresh. No marketable or total yield benefits of grafting were observed in 2018 for any scion by rootstock combination across locations. Marketable yield of grafted plants was reduced by 32% in Lincoln. However, grafted ‘Nebraska Wedding’ plants (regardless of rootstock) in North Platte (with coarse-textured, lower organic matter soil) increased fruit number (but not yield) by 50% to 63%. In 2019, grafting ‘BHN 589’ to ‘Maxifort’ increased total tomato yield by 24% across all locations. The heirloom variety Nebraska Wedding did not benefit from grafting in 2019. ‘Estamino’ rootstock did not increase tomato yield, number, or size for either scion variety in either year. Nitrogen fertilizer increased yield as expected in 2019, but grafted plants did not perform better than nongrafted under reduced nitrogen fertility. Results from this study suggest that grafting is not consistently beneficial to ‘BHN 589’ and ‘Nebraska Wedding’ in open field production systems in Nebraska, particularly if there are no known soilborne disease issues.

Substrate and Moisture Affect the Pupation Depth of the Corn Silk Flies Chaetopsis massyla and Euxesta eluta (Diptera: Ulidiidae).

Corn silk flies, or picture-winged flies (Diptera: Ulidiidae), are important pests of fresh market sweet corn in commercial production areas in southern Florida. Issues with pest management related to insecticide resistance, problems in insecticide application, and alternate crop population sources constitute a significant challenge for the protection of developing corn ears. Developed larvae leave cobs and pupate in the soil; however, relatively little is known about these behaviors. In this study, two soil types collected from fields were compared with sand under six different moisture levels in the laboratory to determine the pupation depths of the larvae. Comparisons were carried out concerning the pupation depth of Chaetopsis massyla and Euxesta eluta, which are major pest species in Florida. Both soil type (muck, loamy sand, and sand) and moisture levels (0, 10, 25, 50, 75, 100% field holding capacity) significantly affected pupation depth, with shallow pupation observed under dry or saturated wet conditions. The addition of structures such as pipe cleaners simulating corn roots resulted in deeper pupation under most conditions.

Price strategy of community fresh food e-commerce considering the heterogeneous needs of consumers and fresh quality transparency

High online operating costs and low consumer utility still need to be addressed in the sales of community fresh e-commerce. Herein, we develop a new community fresh marketing model composed of retailers for online operating costs and consumers for low consumer utility by dividing community consumers into essential type and expectant type in this study. Then, the profit functions of community fresh retailers are developed in this study according to utility theory. Finally, a revised model of the fresh quality transparency (FQT) factor is conducted and discussed in this study. The results suggest that the profits obtained from essential consumers and expectant consumers by the community fresh e-commerce retailers are higher within a certain range of freshness costs compared to the basic model’s projection; meanwhile, the profits from expectant consumers contribute more than those from essential consumers. However, if the freshness cost exceeds a certain critical value, the abovementioned profits predicted from the new model will be lower. This study enriches the supply chain theory of community fresh food and provides retailers with theoretical guidance on differentiated services and pricing to better match the needs of community consumers.

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.