Fruit Mass Research Articles

Inflated Ovary May Increase the Dispersal Ability of Three Species in the Cold Deserts of Central Asia.

Among the diaspores of angiosperms an inflated ovary (IO) is a novel morphological trait, but no studies have evaluated its effects on dispersal. The primary aim of this study was to determine the effect of the IO on diaspore dispersal in three cold desert species (Carex physodes, Calligonum junceum, and Sphaerophysa salsula). Various morphological features and the mass of fruits and seeds of each species were measured. The role of an IO in diaspore dispersal by wind and water was determined by comparing responses of intact (inflated) IOs and flattened fruits and seeds. Mature diaspores of three species were dispersed by wind, and the IO significantly increased dispersal distance in the field and at different wind speeds in the laboratory. The floating time on water was greater for inflated fruits than flattened fruits and seeds. Since the seed remains inside the IO until after dispersal is completed, the IO of the three species enhances diaspore dispersal. This is the first detailed study on how an IO increases diaspore/seed dispersal. Furthermore, after primary dispersal by wind, secondary dispersal can occur via wind or surface runoff of water, and each method is enhanced by the presence of an IO.

Biofertilizer and reduction of water losses in soil cultivated with tomato irrigated with moderately saline water

In semi-arid regions, agricultural production is often limited due to scarcity and rainfall irregularities, and, therefore, the production system depends on irrigation. In this direction, the research aimed to evaluate the influence of the reduction of water losses in the soil through the coating of the lateral faces of the planting furrows with plastic film, by lateral infiltration of water and bovine biofertilizers for growth in height, production, and chlorophyll responses of tomato cv. Fascínio F1 irrigated with moderately saline water. The experiment was carried out in randomized blocks, in a 2 × 3 factorial scheme, with 4 replicates and 21 plants per plot. Different conditions were used and compared with each other: the furrow had side coating or not, and the soil received a common biofertilizer (fresh lactating bovine manure), chemically enriched fertilizer (common biofertilizer, milk, molasses, and gypsum), or no fertilizer at all. The variables evaluated were soil moisture, plant height, a, b, and total chlorophyll content, number and average fruit mass, tomato production, and productivity. The enriched bovine biofertilizer associated with the lateral furrow coating increased the synthesis of chlorophyll pigments, the number of fruits per plant, and the productivity of tomato cv. Fascínio F1. Protecting the faces of the furrows against water losses from the root environment of plants keeps the soil moist, stimulates the synthesis of chlorophyll, and increases the average mass of the fruits. The common bovine biofertilizer promotes greater growth in plant height, and the chemically enriched biofertilizer increases the average weight of tomato fruits.

OPTIMIZATION OF NEW GENERATION POTASSIUM (NG-K) FERTILIZER FOR IMPROVEMENT IN QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF CITRUS (CITRUS LIMON)

Potassium (K) performs multiple essential functions in the plant, including enzyme activation and osmotic regulation. Citrus fruit quality gains considerable influence from potassium (K) fertilizer rate, application method, and sources used. The conducted field experiment assessed the impact and response of different levels of K applications on the quality and yield parameters of citrus fruit, determining a suitable time, stage, and K fertilizer dose for citrus trees. Comparing traditional K fertilizer, i.e., sulfate of potash (SOP), with new-generation potassium (NG-K) employed the use of foliar and soil (basal) applications. Treatments included (i) T1: Control (0 NPK), (ii) T2: Recommended NP and without K, (iii) T3: 500 g K as sulfate of potash (SOP) (basal), (iv) T4: New generation K (NG-K) fertilizer @1.5% (foliar), and (v) T5: 400 g NG-K fertilizer (basal). Observations revealed that citrus trees responded positively in growth characteristics, including fruit quality and physiological attributes, under both foliar and basal K fertilizer applications of different K sources. Notably, NG-K fertilizer proved a better source of K, whether applied as a basal dose or foliar spray. For growth characteristics like the fresh weight of leaves and fruit mass, obtaining the highest values of 35.2 and 172 g, respectively, resulted when applying a basal dose of NG-K. On the other hand, maximum total sugar content (13 mg L-1) and juice content (40%) occurred under foliar-applied NG-K. Foliar application of K fertilizer proved to be more effective for better growth and fruit quality parameters than the basal application of SOP.

Effect of removing the spring flush and irrigation on the reflowering and late ripening of cactus pear Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.

The effect of removing the spring flush and three irrigation doses on cactus pear’s reflowering and late ripening were studied. Removing the spring flush (scozzolatura practice) and irrigation have a significant effect (p ≤ 0,05) on the reflowering and late ripening of cactus pear. In not irrigated and not scozzolaturated plants (NINSP), the flowering extended from March 10 to May 25, 2017, and the ripening extended from May 20 to August 15, 2017. Whereas, in irrigated and scozzolaturated plants (ISP) the reflowering extended from June 15 to August 24, 2017, and the ripening extended from July 21 to November 20, 2017. The number of growths was higher in ISP (92-103 per plant) than in NINSP (81 per plant). Fruit yield was higher in NINSP (56.2 t ha-1) than in ISP (26.2-36.5 t ha-1), but fruit mass (123-131 g) and fruit length (7.83-7.92 cm) were higher in ISP than in NINSP (fruit mass: 103 g and fruit length: 7.72 cm). The rate of juice in fruits was also higher in ISP (49-55 %) than in NINSP (43 %), and the content of sugars was higher in NINSP (15.20 °Brix) than in ISP (13.83-14.56 °Brix).

The effect of fruit position and bagging treatment on Gamboge disorder in mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.)

Gamboge disorder has a detrimental effect on mangosteen. The leakage of the gamboge may result from water availability. Thus, modifying the transpiration of the fruit by bagging might minimize the inappropriate leak of the gamboge produced by the fruit. The study’s objective was to understand the relationship between different fruit positions and bagging treatment on the gamboge disorder in mangosteen. The experiment was conducted on 10-years old trees by tagging young fruits, five replicates with two fruit positions (inside and outside), and bagging treatment (no bagging, transparent and black plastic bagging). The result showed that bagging the fruits inside the canopy does not affect fruit mass. However, bagging with transparent and black plastic of the fruits inside the canopy decreases fruit size. The fruit quality improves by black bagging on the inside canopy fruits. These findings demonstrate that bagging fruits outside the canopy lowers their quality. Black bags used to package fruits inside the canopy improve fruit quality. However, the treatment also causes more fruit to fall from the tree and decreases the nutrient content.

Interference with sex expression, estimation of yield and bioactive compounds in bitter gourd under PGRs-induced conditions

BackgroundThe bitter gourd fruit yields are not at a desirable level due to maleness. Maleness is one of the biggest difficulties with bitter gourd, reducing fruit yields substantially. On the other hand, plant stages are the most important consideration for PGR application because of their sensitive responsiveness. Therefore, it is necessary to determine how bitter gourd plants respond to plant growth regulators, namely PGR0 (control: application of water as control treatment), PGR1 (GA3-Gibberellic acid, 100 mgL−1), PGR2 (NAA-Naphthalene acetic acid, 100 mgL−1), and PGR3 (MH- Maleic hydrazide, 100 mgL−1) at three application phases, S1: soaking of seeds; S2: four-leaf; and S3: flower bud in terms of vegetative development, male–female flower sex alteration, and fruit features including bioactive compounds.ResultsPhysiological, floral and yield characteristics of bitter gourd exposed significant changes by GA3 and MH at various stages. The number of leaves plant−1, the fresh mass of the plant, and the fresh mass of fruit and fruit dry matter content were enhanced remarkably for MH application at the seed soaking stage except for plant height and the number of branches plant−1. MH increased the number of female flowers plant−1, the number of fruits plant−1 and the yield at the 4-leaf stage of application. PGRs substantially influenced the quantity of sugar, chlorophyll, total carotenoids, protein, and water content at various phases of their application but not on ascorbic acid, TSS, or total phenol concentration.ConclusionsFor sex expression and yield attributes, 100 mgL−1 MH at the 4-leaf stage would be effective in bitter gourd. Exogenous NAA showed a considerable dual influence on plant development and antioxidant enzyme activity in bitter gourd fruits.

Ecosystem services of organic versus inorganic ground cover in peach orchards: A meta‐analysis

AbstractSeveral organic (e.g., compost, hay, straw, grass) and inorganic (e.g., plastic film) ground cover (GC) forms are used in peach orchards worldwide. Yet, there is a lack of quantitative studies on peach orchard ecosystem services comprising fruit yields and quality, soil health indicators, and biological pest control. To fill this knowledge gap, we performed a meta‐analysis of 55 peer‐reviewed research. Overall, inorganic GC increased peach yields by 7.7 ± 1.8%, while organic GC reduced it, though not statistically significant (p > 0.05), by 1.7 ± 3%. Both forms of GC have enhanced single fruit mass, with a greater increase in inorganic (4.2 ± 1.7%) than in organic GC (1.2 ± 1.2%), and soluble solids content by 5.9 ± 0.9% and 3.2 ± 0.7%, respectively. Inorganic GC did not significantly affect titratable acid and fruit hardness, while organic GC reduced titratable acid (13.7 ± 2.1%), and fruit hardness (89 ± 2.9%). Soil temperature has increased in orchards with inorganic GC (2.8 ± 2.9%) and reduced with organic GC (8.3 ± 2.4%). Inorganic GC marginally increased soil water storage, while organic GC increased it by 9.3 ± 2.1%. Both organic and inorganic GC increased soil water content by 13.1 ± 2.4% and 26.1 ± 3.4%, respectively. Unlike inorganic GC, organic GC increased soil organic matter, available nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium by 28.3 ± 3.3%, 25.1 ± 2.7%, 23.5 ± 4.6%, and 30.9 ± 3.3%, respectively. Equally significantly, organic GC increased predator abundance (47.5 ± 5.9%) and reduced pest incidence (2.4 ± 1.8%). Overall, inorganic GC systems slightly increased peach yield but are not sustainable due to their negative soil health and environmental impacts. In contrast, organic GC systems delivered an acceptable yield level while providing numerous ecosystem services, enabling sustainable long‐term peach production.

Source–Sink manipulations have major implications for grapevine berry and wine flavonoids and aromas that go beyond the changes in berry sugar accumulation

Sugar levels in grape berries are necessary for wine production but also, they are the main driver of most ripening processes. Sugar levels are very responsive to canopy and crop load adjustments. The aim of this study is to test the effect of different levels of defoliation and cluster thinning on grape ripening and wine composition. ‘Cabernet sauvignon’ grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) were subjected to defoliation (keeping 100 %, 66 % and 33 % of the leaves) and fruit thinning treatments (keeping 100 %, 66 % and 33 % of the clusters) combined in a factorial design. The experiment was repeated for 2 consecutive seasons (2017 and 2018) and the plants were left untreated for a third season (2019) to observe the carry-over effects of the treatments. The treatments implied precise adjustments of leaf and cluster numbers. However, the proportion of leaf area to fruit mass tended to compensate each other and interact resulting in smaller differences in leaf area or fruit mass by harvest. Berry mass was strongly reduced by defoliation even in the subsequent season where no defoliation was applied. Berry ripening indicators (soluble solids, acidity and anthocyanin levels) were also more affected by defoliation than fruit thinning. Anthocyanin profile was shifted to a higher proportion of Malvidin-derived anthocyanins for defoliated vines and lower proportion of Malvidin-derived anthocyanins in the case of thinned vines. However, when it came down to wine, the physicochemical parameters as well as the aroma profile were more affected by cluster thinning. There was a clear relationship between sugar levels of the unfermented must and many wine-aroma compounds. Green aromas (2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, hexanol and cis-3-Hexen-1-ol) were among those presenting a negative correlation to must sugar whereas other compounds like Isobutyric acid, Benzyl alcohol, 1-Octen-3-ol and γ-Nonalactone had a positive correlation. This study reveals a higher level of complexity of source sink relations where leaves and clusters do not only act as a source and a sink of carbon, respectively. Therefore, the results of this study should be considered before making comparisons of leaf area to fruit mass ratios across different vine-growing systems.

Weak transgenerational effects of ancestral nitrogen and phosphorus availabilities on offspring phenotypes in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Nutrient availability significantly regulates plant growth and metabolic functions, but whether and how the long-term exposure of ancestral plants to contrasting nutrient environments influences offspring phenotypic performance (i.e., transgenerational plasticity) remain poorly addressed. Here we conducted experimental manipulations using Arabidopsis thaliana with the ancestral plants grown in different nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availabilities over eleven consecutive generations, and then examined the offspring phenotypic performance under the interactive effects of current and ancestral nutrient environments. We found that current rather than ancestral nutrient environments dominantly explained the variations in offspring plant traits (i.e., flowering time, aboveground biomass and biomass allocation fractions), suggesting the relatively weak transgenerational effects of ancestral N and P availabilities on offspring phenotypes. In contrast, increasing N and P availabilities in the offspring generation remarkably shortened the flowering time, increased the aboveground biomass, and altered biomass allocation fractions differentially among organs. Despite the overall weak transgenerational phenotypic plasticity, under the low nutrient environment, the offspring of ancestral plants from the low nutrient environment had a significantly higher fruit mass fraction than those from the suitable nutrient environment. Taken together, our findings suggest that A. thaliana exhibits a much stronger within- than trans-generational trait plasticity under contrasting nutrient availabilities, and may provide important insights into the understanding of plant adaptation and evolutionary processes under changing nutrient environments.

Quality of strawberries of Italian origin grown in the mountainous region of Rio Grande do Sul

Studies that evaluate the quality of the strawberry fruit, depending on the different genetic materials and places of cultivation, are still scarce in Brazil. The objective of this work was to evaluate the quality of fruits of advanced genotypes of strawberry with Italian genetics, in the municipality of Farroupilha, belonging to the Serrana region of Rio Grande do Sul. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with four replications and 10 plants per plot, in two production cycles, containing 21 treatments in the 2018/2019 cycle and 23 treatments in the 2019/2020 cycle. The variables were quantified: fresh mass of commercial fruits (g fruit-1); luminosity and chroma of the epidermis; hue angle; pulp firmness (g); titratable acidity content (g 100g-1 of citric acid); soluble solids content (°Brix) and soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio (SS/AT). Among the genotypes evaluated, the genotypes FRF PIR 075.08, ITA 10.128.09, and FRF FC 104.01, have superior fruit quality, showing greater potential to become recommended cultivars for cultivation in the Serrana region of Rio Grande do Sul, together with the cultivar pircinque.

Comparative Study on the Behavior of Some Old Apple Varieties before and after Their Grafting, with Potential for Use in Urban Horticulture

Urban horticulture has to respond to several challenges, including reducing the growth vigor of the scion/rootstock combination, adapting the cultivated species/variety to the pedoclimatic conditions—more varied in recent years, and increasing tolerance to diseases and pests that cause extensive qualitative and quantitative damage to fruit production. For this experiment, 15 old apple varieties were chosen, all known and cultivated in the Banat area, which were grafted on the MM106 rootstock. Several parameters were analyzed that can be used for a relevant classification for planting them in limited spaces, such as in a private garden. Our research started 10 years ago and has already resulted in a doctoral thesis that extensively presents the data taken from the initial biological material and the first two years after grafting the trees; the research continued and is still ongoing in the experimental orchard. From the multitude of aspects studied, we have chosen to present some results related to the vigor of the scion/rootstock combination, the quality of the fruits, their content in acidity as well as the behavior with respect to diseases and pests—results that can be useful to those who want to grow old apple varieties in their own garden. Growth vigor was reduced in most varieties, but the highest influence of the rootstock on growth was observed in the ‘Bănățenesc’ variety, followed by ‘Jonathan de Munte’ and ‘Caslere’. Grafting and agrotechniques had a positive influence on the fruit mass in all cultivars, except ‘Crețesc’, with an experimental average of 163.35 g, namely 60.56 g higher on average than that of the original biological material. After grafting, the SSC was between 10.05 °Brix in the ‘Curcubătoase’ variety and 18.48 °Brix in ‘Parmen Auriu’, with an experimental average of 14.96 °Brix. The fruit acidity oscillated between 0.13 g/100 g in ‘Florănești’ and ‘Pătul’ varieties and 0.46 g/100 g in ‘Domnesc’, with an experimental average of 0.25 g/100 g.

Physicochemical characterization of elephant apple (Dillenia indica L.) fruit and its mass and volume modeling using computer vision

The elephant apple (Dillenia indica L.) is an underutilized fruit and a potential source of many nutrients. The variations in the mass and volume of fruits are highly dependent on their physical properties. This relation is used to design precise post-harvest machinery and analyze fruit quality. The work aims to study the physicochemical properties and predict the correlation of mass and volume with various physical properties measured by image processing techniques through single and multivariable regression models such as linear, quadratic, rational, and exponential, respectively. The total phenolic content, flavonoid, and antioxidant activity of elephant apple powder are 1.2 mg GAE/g, 353.58 mg QE/g, and 5.74 mg GAEAC/g, respectively. Among single-variable models, the length-based rational model was best suited for predicting the mass and volume of elephant apples with high R2 values of 0.930 and 0.924, respectively. For mass and volume of combined physical properties, rational and exponential models showed the best fit with the R2 values of 0.935 and 0.950 with RMSE values of 18.196 and 15.638. Thus, the correlation between the mass and volume of elephant apples with their physical characteristics resulted in a quicker, more accurate, and more precise grading system.

Rancang bangun mesin pengering buah pinang tipe rotari dengan sumber panas api kompor berbahan bahar oli bekas

This study aims to describe the working system and test the performance of the machine, to find out an overview of reducing the moisture content of betel nut dried with a rotary type betel nut dryer machine with a heat source from a used oil-fueled stove fire. The methods used in the study consist of the design stage and the performance test stage. The design stage was to carry out the construction design process, material selection, and fabrication process. While the performance test stage aims to determine the ability of the machine to carry out the betel nut drying process. The results of the design of the rotary type betel nut dryer machine consist of a heating system and a drive system. The heating system uses heat from the used oil-fueled stove and the drive system uses an electric motor connected to the reducer gearbox to rotate the cylinder of the drying chamber. The maximum air temperature generated during the 7-hour performance test process was 108oC with an air flow speed of 3,8 m/s. The results of the design of the drying machine are able to reduce fruit mass by 5.5 kg with a drying rate of 0.785 kg / hour on wet betel nut. The reduction in the moisture content of dried betel nut is directly proportional to the reduction in mass. During the 7-hour drying process, the moisture content of the betel nut is reduced by 55% with a reduction rate of 7.85% / hour

Supplemental light and silicon improved strawberry fruit size and sugars concentration under both full and deficit irrigation

Light, water and nutrient are essential factors influencing fruit quality of strawberry plants grown in commercial greenhouse. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of supplemental light on the fruit quality as well as the effect of incorporating deficit irrigation and silicate spray on the plant nitrogen assimilation and fruiting of strawberry plants. The experimental plants were subjected to two light conditions, supplemental lighting (LED) and natural lighting environment (N), combining with two irrigation regimes, full irrigation (FI) or deficit irrigation (DI) and two foliar spray treatments, silicate spray (Si) or water spray (W), resulting in 8 treatments in total, viz., FIWN, FISiN, FIWLED, FISiLED, DIWN, DISiN, DIWLED, DIWLED. The Light treatment significantly elevated fruit polyphenols by 15.5% in the early season, and elevated fruit total sugar, glucose and fructose concentrations by 10.0%, 10.9% and 10.2% in the late season, respectively. The DI increased fruit anthocyanins concentration by 25% in the early season, and increased fruit glutamate concentration by 12.3% in the late season. The Si increased fruit anthocyanins, polyphenols and citrate concentrations by 41.7%, 14.7% and 8.2% in the early season, respectively, and increased single fruit mass by 8.8% in the late season. Furthermore, the Si enhanced the leaf GOGAT activity and glutamate concentration by 56.3% and 25.8%, respectively. The FISiLED and DIWLED had comparable advantages in elevating the fruit glucose, fructose, polyphenols and ascorbate concentrations in both seasons. Therefore, the silicate spray combined with supplemental lighting was recommended for growers to produce high quality strawberry fruit, and the deficit irrigation could be incorporated for the purpose of water conservation. The influence of supplemental light on the nitrogen metabolizing cycle and the carbohydrates transportation when the plants subjected to silicate spray or drought stress deserve further study.

Enhanced urban roadside vegetation increases pollinator abundance whereas landscape characteristics drive pollination

Roads cause pollution, habitat degradation and fragmentation, while recent studies report that roadside vegetation can benefit plant and insect diversity. However, the factors that drive effects of roadside vegetation on pollinator abundance and pollination need further attention. Our main interest in this study was to evaluate urban roadside enhancement by identifying direct and indirect effects of local resource availability and landscape characteristics on pollinator abundance and quality of pollination, by using functionally different phytometer plants. Thus, we established 34 species-rich wildflower patches along urban roads, and monitored flowering species and floral density at the local scale. At the landscape scale we measured the amount of impervious surface within a radius of 500 m around the wildflower patches, as well as edge density of all major land-use types, and distance to the city center. As control, we used 34 patches with existing species-poor roadside green. The abundance of pollinators, i.e., honeybees, wild bees, and hoverflies, was sampled with colored pan traps. Pollination was monitored based on fruit number and weight of three phytometer species, i.e., Fragaria × ananassa, Ranunculus acris, and Trifolium pratense, that differ in flower morphology and color, and attract different pollinators. Pollinator abundance was positively related to local richness of flowering plants and floral density. At the landscape scale, pollinator abundance was positively related to the proportion of impervious surface but negatively to edge density. Phytometer-specific effects on pollination were moderated by landscape characteristics: Fruit mass of F. x. ananassa was highest in the inner city, fruit number of R. acris was lower in areas with high edge density, whereas in T. pratense fruit number increased with edge density, and was negatively related with the proportion of impervious surface. There were no indirect effects of local and landscape factors via pollinator abundance on pollination. The study of the three phytometer species revealed that roadside enhancement can directly support fruit production in wild plants and crops in cities. Thereby, different landscape characteristics influenced the quality of fruit set, which also depended on individual plant reproductive adaptations. This stresses the importance of using a set of complementary phytometer species in pollination experiments, especially to gain insights into ecosystem functioning at coarser spatial scales.

Bioethanol Production from Waste and Nonsalable Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Fruits: Potentials and Challenges

Balancing the needs of current and future generations stimulates investment for sustainable development such as converting waste biomass into biorenewables. Sugar-based ethanol production is a well-investigated and established process, and researchers are now focusing on the transformation of cellulosic biomass to sugar and the application of non-conventional methods for ethanol production. The State of Qatar generates date palm fruit waste of approximately 4505 tons annually, excluding ornamental palms and palms outside the farms that bear nonmarketable date fruits. Date fruit molasses contains fermentable sugars, representing 75% of the total fruit mass, which can offer a good source for bioethanol production through anaerobic fermentation and distillation. On this basis, the valorization of waste date fruits can be an effective zero-waste strategy via biotransformation into bio-renewable materials, hence, contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals. This paper reviews the potentials and challenges for the utilization of waste date fruits as a bioethanol source and assesses the abundance of waste date fruits as raw material for the conventional bioethanol conversion process. The review also identified conventional and nonconventional processes for bioethanol production and their applicability to Qatar. Finally, this confirmed ample demand for bioethanol ranging from fuel and industrial chemicals to pharmaceutical alcohol.

Multivariate Contrasts of Seven Strawberry Cultivars in Soilless Cultivation and Greenhouse in Southern Brazil

Understanding the performance of strawberry cultivars in response to the evolving environment and growth medium is a key factor in choosing materials with the aptitude to serve the consumer market. Here, we investigated whether strawberry cultivars in soilless cultivation and greenhouse differ in their agronomic potential. We have studied seven cultivars in an experiment designed in randomized blocks, with four replications. We used analysis of variance and multivariate to examine production attributes, the chemical quality of fruits, and their phytochemical profile. Among the seven cultivars, three heterogeneous groups were formed, gathering the materials mainly due to the similarity in terms of the content of total polyphenols (TPO) and average fresh fruit mass (AFFM). ‘Aromas’ produced the greatest number of strawberries. ‘Fronteras’ and ‘Monterey’, in turn, were the most productive cultivars, and ‘Albion’ and ‘Fronteras’ produced the largest fruits. ‘Albion’ produced the sweetest and tastiest fruits, with an adequate relationship between sugar and acidity. ‘Camino Real’ produced fruits with higher phytochemical content. We conclude that the seven strawberry cultivars in soilless cultivation and greenhouse have contrasting agronomic potential, which indicates that the producers can establish their crops with different materials. We suggest the use of ‘Fronteras’ to obtain greater yield and fruit size, ‘Albion’ to producers looking to grow sweeter and tastier fruits, and ‘Camino Real’ to obtain strawberries rich in secondary metabolites.

Studies on physiological and productive effects of multi-leader training systems and Prohexadione-Ca applications on apple cultivar 'WA 38′

The release of new apple varieties able to improve consumer satisfaction provides the opportunity to modernize orchards and transition them away from unlucrative plantings towards highly productive, high-value cultivation systems. Top-working an existing, unprofitable mature orchard by grafting a new variety allows the orchardist to take advantage of an existing root system to achieve early bearing and reduce the establishment cost. Often, the scion in a new top-grafted orchard can present excessive vigor in the years following the grafting due to the abundance of reserves stored in the mature root system that become available for the new variety at the beginning of the season. This case study focuses on ‘WA 38′, an apple variety released in 2017 to Washington State growers. ‘WA 38′ can show variable vigor levels depending on the choice of rootstock, training system, planting density, pruning technique, water availability, and soil characteristics. Prohexadione-calcium (Pro-Ca, Apogee®) has been utilized for years in apple and other crops as a growth regulator with inhibitory activity on gibberellin synthesis, with the common effect of reducing shoot growth and canopy development and other potential physiological effects depending on genetics of the variety, timing, and rate of applications. This study investigated the physiological responses of ‘WA 38′ scion top-grafted on an 8-year-old Granny Smith/M.9 orchard and then trained to 1, 2, and 3-axis systems—suitable for modern mid-high-density planting—with and without the application of Pro-Ca for two consecutive years. The growth regulator was applied in post-bloom at a 250 ppm rate, starting at approximately 12-cm shoot length for three sprays per season. The parameters assessed to evaluate the impact of Pro-Ca on the variety in three training systems were: one-year-shoot length, internode length, dormant pruning weights, number of flower clusters per tree, photosynthetic carbon assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration, transpiration rate, chlorophyll determination (by SPAD and chemical extraction), leaf mineral analysis (macro and micro-nutrients), yield per tree, fruit size distribution and packout. The present results confirmed the effectiveness of the Pro-Ca in reducing the canopy growth and vigor in ‘WA 38′, with diminished internode length, total shoot length, and lower amount of pruned material. Leaf gas exchange parameters and chlorophyll quantification highlighted an alteration of tree physiology by Pro-Ca application with increased transpiration, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration, and higher concentrations of chlorophyll a and b with respect to untreated trees. Pro-Ca-treated- ‘WA 38′ trees did not show any negative effect on productivity; rather, an increased average fruit mass and an enhanced proportion of apples in the extra-large size category compared to control. Fewer significant differences were found in the comparison between the training systems. Overall, the 3-axis system showed a higher yield and greater number of flower clusters per tree with a lower average area of each leader in comparison to 1-axis. Further investigations will shed light on ‘WA 38′ tree performance, productivity, and fruit quality after multiple years of Pro-Ca treatment to offer orchard management recommendations for a modern, top-worked, machine-friendly orchard.

Evidence of the very early effects of water deficit on cell division and expansion processes in tomato ovaries

Water deficit (WD) is known to reduce the final mass of tomato fruit. Despite the recorded positive relationship between final fruit mass and cell number, the latter being determined in the pre-anthesis period of ovary development, very few studies have investigated the effects of WD on ovary growth before anthesis. In this study, cell division and expansion in tomato ovaries (cv. H1311) were studied under two irrigation regimes: a control regime that maintained soil water content at field capacity and a WD regime with a 50% reduction in water supply compared to the control. The ovaries were sampled at 6 and 2 days before anthesis, at anthesis, at 2 and 5 days after anthesis, and at breaker stage. Effects of WD were already significant in the pre-anthesis period and the mesophyll layers contributed 96% of the final loss of fruit mass under WD. Overall, the results suggest that cell expansion was the predominant contributor to the loss of fruit mass, although cell number decreased at fruit scale. This was due to the relative contributions of the different layers to fruit cell number and mean cell volume, and to the specific patterns of development and response to WD occurring in each layer. This study provides important information on the regulation of fruit growth processes under WD and will help better predict the impact of it on fruit yield.

Relationship Between Mass Loss and Fruit Quality of Sweet Orange at Two Different Storage Conditions.

Mass loss from fresh produce is linked to areduction of its aesthetic value. However, arelationship between mass loss and biochemical quality parameters at different storage conditions has not been widely explored. Therefore, the current study is designed with the objectives to determine the behavior of fruit quality parameters and arelationship between fruit mass loss and fruit quality at two different storage conditions. Sweet orange fruit stored in azero energy cool chamber (ZECC) had greater shelf-life of more than 15 days, fruit size (62.40 mm) and peel (35.15%) and lower mass loss (4.94%), juice (32.19%) and electrical conductivity (EC) (2.06 S/m) as compared to ambient conditions in laboratory during 25 days of storage. In ZECC, only EC was positively correlated (r = 0.57) with mass loss, whereas at room temperature EC (r = 0.76), total soluble solids (TSS) (r = 0.60) and fruit internal temperature (r = 0.64) were positively and peel (%) (r = -0.52) and fruit diameter (r = -0.49) were negatively correlated with mass loss. Correlation of combined storage conditions revealed that EC (r = 0.47) and TSS (r = 0.50) were positively and peel (%) (r = -0.77) and fruit diameter (r = -0.55) were negatively correlated with mass loss (%). The principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the scores of room temperature were strongly associated with TSS, pH, EC, mass loss (%), juice (%) and internal temperature (°C), whereas scores ofZECCwere strongly associated with pulp (%), ascorbic acid (mg 100 mL-1), acidity (%), and fruit diameter (mm).