Sweet Cherry Fruit Quality Research Articles

Effects of different rootstocks on fruit quality and non-volatile flavor-related compounds of sweet cherry ‘summit’

In practical sweet cherry production, grafting onto rootstocks is a common practice to enhance environmental adaptability. Rootstocks play a crucial role in influencing scion growth and fruit quality by regulating the absorption and utilization of mineral elements. In this study, the influence of five rootstocks with or without root fertilization during the fruit color conversion period on the fruit quality of sweet cherry ‘Summit’ was observed. The physicochemical characteristics, external color characteristics, and total anthocyanin content of ‘Summit’ were significantly affected by both rootstock and fertilization, with an interaction between the two factors. The content of certain sugar components, organic acid components and phenolic acid components in ‘Summit’ were significantly affected by rootstocks and fertilization. ‘Summit’ grafted on Gisela 5 and H22 exhibited higher sugar content, while ‘Summit’ grafted on H11 and H17 exhibited higher organic and phenolic acid content.

Effects of Ripening Phase and Cultivar under Sustainable Management on Fruit Quality and Antioxidants of Sweet Cherry

Sweet cherry grown under sustainable management produces highly valuable fruits, whose quality shows important biochemical and morphological changes during ripening. Research was carried out in Iasi (Romania), with the aim to assess the quality characteristics of the sweet cherry fruits of three cultivars (Van, Andreiaș, Margonia), grown in an inner or outer position inside the tree crown, at the pre-ripening or full ripeness phase. In 2022, the colour component a* showed higher values in cv. Van and Andreias red fruits and in an inner position, whereas the components L* and b* at the full ripeness phase were highest in cv. Margonia. The dry matter and total soluble solids contents increased from the pre-ripening to the full ripeness phase and were highest in cv. Van sweet cherry fruits; the DM of fruit from the outer part of crown was higher than that of fruit from the inner part at the pre-ripening phase. The content of phenolics was the highest in cv. Margonia fruits at the pre-ripening stage and in cv. Van at the full ripeness phase and higher in the inner tree crown zones. The cultivar Margonia generally showed the highest vitamin C content in both years and development phases. The yellow fruit cv. Margonia mostly showed the highest values of chlorophyll a and b. The fruit’s content of carotene, lycopene, and anthocyanins was generally the highest in the red fruits of cv. Andreias. The examined sweet cherry cultivars showed a high variability in fruit nutritional quality and proved to be a rich source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant potential.

Pre-Harvest Application of Aminoethoxyvinylglycine, Salicylic Acid and Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria on Fruit Quality of ‘Sweetheart’ Sweet Cherry

Sweet cherry, which affects consumers’ preferences with its aroma, taste and sensory properties, is a significant fruit species for human health with its bioactive compounds such as organic acids, vitamins and anthocyanins. However, its post-harvest shelf life is very short due to its sensitive fruit structure. Thus, the significant economic losses occur. In the study, effects of pre-harvest Aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG), Salicylic acid (SA) and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) applications on fruit quality characteristics and biochemical content in sweet cherry were determined. SA and PGPR treatments increased fruit size, but AVG decreased (If the fruit weight is 4.51 in the control application, 4.49 in the SA application and 4.10 in the PGPR, how can it be said that SA and PGPR increase the fruit weight). The fruits treated with SA, AVG and PGPR had higher fruit firmness values than the control’-fruits. Salisylic acid treatmens did not affect the rate of soluble solids content(SSC) in fruit, SSC rate was higher in PGPR treated-fruit, but AVG decreased the SSC. Titratable acidity (TA) was lower in PGPR treated-fruit, but was higher in the AVG and SA treated-fruit. Fruits treated with the SA and AVG had higher fruit color values than control fruits, while the lowest color values was obtained with PGPR treatment. In general; PGPR, SA and AVG were effective in the concentration of organic acids, but their effects varied depending on the organic acid compounds. As a result, AVG and SA delayed fruit ripening and fruit softening while PGPR, AVG and SA improved fruit quality (It is not clear how this idea was reached). These applications can be considered as a promising method for improving fruit quality at harvest and maintaining post-harvest fruit quality of sweet cherry.

Fruit quality and surface pitting resistance of sweet cherry of various genotypes stored in modified atmosphere

Fruit quality and surface pitting resistance of sweet cherry of various genotypes stored in modified atmosphere

Assessment of sweet cherry fruit quality according to the requirements of the modern market

Assessment of commercial properties of sweet cherry fruit determines the competitiveness of fresh fruit in the modern market. The selection of cultivars with the highest number of high-quality fruits to meet the preferences of all stakeholders is relevant. The purpose of this study was to substantiate the commercial indicators for assessing the quality of sweet cherry fruit of three ripening periods and to select the most competitive cultivars for sustainable supply of fresh fruit to the modern market. The methods used in the study were field, laboratory, and comparative. The commercial properties of 33 sweet cherry cultivars of early, middle, and late ripening were determined. The sweet cherry fruits of the cultivars under study were divided into two commercial classes according to fruit size and defects. The fruits were analysed for the following defects: cracked, scarred, and browned skin. The amount of non-standard sweet cherry fruit production for each cultivar was determined. For each ripening period of sweet cherry varieties, the average value of the volume of fruits of classes I-II and non-standard products was established. A general trend towards an increase in the amount of high-quality fruit raw materials for late-ripening cultivars was identified. The most valuable cultivars of early (Skazka and Zabuta), medium (Uliublenytsia Turovtseva and Temp) and late (Anons) ripening were identified, which provided the maximum number of class I fruits. The maximum production was determined in the Merchant (early ripening), Cordia (medium ripening) and Karina (late ripening) cultivars. The lowest volume of non-standard products was found in cultivars of different ripening periods – Skazka, Prostir, and Anons. The fruit classification into commercial classes can be used to evaluate the fruit of sweet cherry cultivars and determine the possibility of using them fresh, for long-term chilled storage and for various further processing methods

Effects of postharvest deficit irrigation on sweet cherry (Prunus avium) in five Okanagan Valley, Canada, orchards: II. Phenology, cold hardiness, fruit yield, and quality

Irrigated agriculture in semi-arid regions is expected to increase in the future, which puts greater demands on scarce water resources. Sustainable irrigation strategies in semi-arid regions will support agricultural resilience to climatic change. The response of “Sweetheart”/Mazzard sweet cherry trees ( Prunus avium L.) to postharvest deficit irrigation (PDI), as a water conservation method, was studied over three seasons (2019–2022) in the semi-arid Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, at five commercial orchards. The following irrigation treatments were applied; ( i) a control of full irrigation, irrigated according to conventional growers’ practice at each orchard, ( ii) PDI-30: 27%–33% reduction in irrigation volume, after harvest (67%–73% of control), and ( iii) PDI-50: 47%–52% reduction in irrigation volume, after harvest (48–53% of control). Spring phenology (the timing of flower bud development, from side green to full bloom), flower bud moisture content and cold hardiness, and fruit yield and quality (before and after cold storage and shelf-life conditions) were assessed to determine if PDI altered fruit development over the subsequent growing season. Neither PDI-30 nor PDI-50 caused changes in the timing of flower bud phenology, cold hardiness or moisture content relative to the control. PDI treatments also had no effect on fruit yield or fruit quality at harvest or after storage and shelf-life conditions. These results suggest PDI could be used to reduce irrigation water use in semi-arid regions, like the Okanagan Valley, without affecting sweet cherry production or fruit quality.

‘Kordia’ sweet cherry fruit quality as function of the rootstock and storage conditions

Sweet cherry fruit of the cultivar ‘Kordia’ derived from trees growing on the GiSelA 5®, Colt and Mazzard F12/1 rootstocks were harvested at the stage of consumption maturity and stored for three weeks in control atmosphere – CA (20% CO2 and 3% O2, RH 90%, 2 ±0.5°C), modified atmosphere packaging – MAP (2–4% CO2, 13–18% O2, 2°C ± 0.5°C) and air atmosphere – AA (RH 80%, 2 ±0.5°C). The rootstocks had a significant effect on all tested fruit quality parameters directly after harvest, except for respiration rate in the first year and fruit titratable acidity in the second year of the study. After sweet cherry storage, the influence of the rootstock on most of fruit quality parameters was proven. The GiSelA 5® rootstock contributed to the preservation of high firmness, high soluble solids content and high soluble solids content/titratable acidity (SSC/TA) ratio. MAP retained good fruit quality, although more favorable quality parameters were recorded after sweet cherry storage in CA, especially with regard to such features as fruit firmness, low respiration rate, small mass loss, low percentage of fungal diseases and good preservation of green color of the stem.

Orchard microclimate, tree water uptake and sweet cherry fruit quality under protected cropping.

Protected cropping systems (PCS) de-risk adverse climatic effects in intensive horticultural production but alter the growing environment. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of modern, commercial-scale PCS on sweet cherry orchard microclimate, tree water uptake and fruit quality. Sap flow sensors and weather stations were positioned at four locations under a 21 ha PCS at varying elevations (125, 114, 111, 102 m above sea level) and distances from the block boundary (105, 75, 60 or 50 m, referred to hereafter as Locations 1 to 4, respectively). Generalised additive models (GAMs) were used to predict the effect of individual climate parameters (temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation and wind speed) on tree sap flow at each of the four locations. Average and maximum temperatures and average minimum relative humidity (RH) were higher (15.9°C, 26.1°C and 49.0%) at locations with higher elevations and located further from the PCS boundary (locations 1 and 2) in contrast to locations at lower elevations and closer proximity to the PCS boundary (locations 3 and 4) (15.4°C, 24.6°C and 48.1%). Predicted sap flow was strongly correlated (r2 = 0.92) with time across the four locations under the PCS. GAMS modelling indicated that the hourly water uptake by trees within close proximity to the block boundary (locations 3 and 4) responded with greater intensity to increases in temperature and reductions in relative humidity, taking up on average 0.15 L h-1 (at temperatures >30°C) and 0.08 L h-1 (at RH<50%), respectively, in contrast to trees further under the PCS (locations 1 and 2) where average tree water uptake was 0.08 and 0.04 L h-1 at temperatures >30°C and RH<50%, respectively. Highest average predicted hourly tree sap flow was associated with high wind speeds (0.67 L h-1) and low relative humidity levels (0.61 L h-1). Fruit harvested from locations further from the PCS boundary had significantly higher dry matter content (18.2%), total soluble solids (17.8%) and compression firmness (311.3 g mm-1) in contrast to fruit closer to the PCS boundaries (16.1%, 15.7% and 258.3 g mm-1). This study provides greater understanding of the effects of PCS on microclimate and consequences for tree water uptake and fruit quality.

Sweet cherry yield, fruit quality and water productivity under rainfed conditions in eastern Free State

Sweet cherry yield, fruit quality and water productivity under rainfed conditions in eastern Free State

The role of gene duplication in the divergence of the sweet cherry

Gene duplication is a drive for genetic complexity and diversity, and can occur by several mechanisms. The plant phenotypic evolution is assumed to have been aided by whole-genome duplication. WGD (Whole genome duplication) events are often separated by tens of millions of years, resulting in a lack of a constant supply of variations for adaptation to ever-changing environments. Sweet cherry is a major Rosaceae fruit crop, however, it's uncertain whether distinct forms of gene duplications throughout evolution in sweet cherry where whole genome has been duplicated. In this study, genes were identified that derived from transposed, tandem, whole-genome, dispersed and proximal duplication events and differ in abundance, selection pressures, uninterrupted genes, expression divergence, as well as Go ontology enrichment analysis, and duplicate gene evolution were investigated using integrated large-scale genome and transcriptome datasets. The proximal and tandem mode of duplication expressed extreme conserve expression along with slow divergence, while transposed genes show higher regulatory divergence expression than other modes of duplication. We also examined at the development and expansion of gene families involved in the sugar metabolism pathways and organic acid, which are associated to the flavour and quality of sweet cherry fruit. The current study provides knowledge on the evolutionary fate and consequences of duplicate genes, providing the groundwork for future research into the dynamic evolution of duplicate genes.

Effects of GA3, CACl2 and Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) Applications on Fruit Quality of Sweet Cherry at Cold Storage

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pre-harvest gibberellic acid (GA3) and calcium chloride (CaCl2) and post-harvest modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) applications on fruit quality of sweet cherry during the cold storage. At the end of the cold storage, GA3+CaCl2 applications in MAP-applied fruit and CaCl2 in non-MAP-applied fruit significantly delayed weight loss compared to the control. During the cold storage, the decay of CaCl2-applied fruit has not been observed. At the end of cold storage, the a* and firmness values of the fruit treated with GA3 and CaCl2 were significantly higher than the control. The CaCl2-applied fruit had less soluble solids than the control, but they had significantly higher acidity compared to other applications. In MAP, GA3- and CaCl2-applied fruit had higher vitamin C and antioxidant activity values than the control fruit, but their total phenolics were higher. However, the total flavonoids of CaCl2-applied fruit were higher than the control. On fruit in non-MAP, with GA3 application, less anthocyanin was obtained compared to the control. As a result, GA3-treated fruit had a relatively lower bioactive compound content compared to the fruit of the CaCl2 and control applications both during the harvest and the cold storage. However, it has been revealed that GA3 and CaCl2 applications can be used as significant pre-harvest tools to delay the loss of the fruit firmness.

Improving Postharvest Quality of Sweet Cherry Fruit by Using Tragacanth and Eremurus

ABSTRACT Reducing post-harvest losses and increasing the shelf life of agricultural products leads to reduced production costs. Edible coatings are used to improve fruit quality and increase the shelf-life of horticultural commodities. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the possible effect of edible coatings, including tragacanth gum (TG), Eremurus extract (EE) and tragacanth+Eremurus at 0, 7.5, 10, and 12.5 g L−1, on the fruit quality of ‘Takdaneh Mashhad’ sweet cherry cultivar. Fruits were immersed in the treatment solutions for 3 min and air dried. Then after weighing and labeling, they were collected in fruit baskets and transferred to a cold storage at 0 ± 1°C and 85 to 90% relative humidity. These fruits were taken out of the cold storage at the beginning of the experiment and after 15, 30, and 45 days for measuring fruit weight loss, fruit firmness, soluble solids content (SSC), pH, titratable acidity, total phenolic content, polyphenol oxidase enzyme activity, vitamin C, fruit-edible quality, fruit color, and decay index. According to the results, fruits coated with 12.5 g L−1 TG and also 12.5 g L−1 EE coatings individually showed reduction in weight loss compared to the control treatment. These two treatments increased the qualitative appearance of the fruit such as fruit firmness, color and vitamin C compared to the control fruits. All coating treatments reduced decay index. The present study was the first study to investigate the effect of Eremurus alone or in combination with tragacanth gum on the physicochemical properties of sweet cherry fruit.

Erratum zu: Erziehungssysteme spielen eine Schlüsselrolle für die Fruchtqualität und den Gehalt an Phenolsäuren bei Süßkirschen

Erratum zu: Erziehungssysteme spielen eine Schlüsselrolle für die Fruchtqualität und den Gehalt an Phenolsäuren bei Süßkirschen

Erziehungssysteme spielen eine Schlüsselrolle für die Fruchtqualität und den Gehalt an Phenolsäuren bei Süßkirschen

Erziehungssysteme spielen eine Schlüsselrolle für die Fruchtqualität und den Gehalt an Phenolsäuren bei Süßkirschen

Effects of Melatonin Treatment on Sweet Cherry Tree Yield and Fruit Quality

The effects of preharvest melatonin treatment, applied as foliar spray at 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 mM concentration at three key points of fruit development (pit hardening, initial colour changes and 3 days before harvesting), on crop yield and fruit quality properties at harvest was evaluated in three sweet cherry cultivars, ‘Prime Giant’, ‘Lapins’ and ‘Sweet Heart’, and two years, 2019 and 2020. The results showed that melatonin treatment had no effect on crop yield, except for the ‘Lapins’ cultivar, in which increases were found. However, decayed and cracked fruit percentage was decreased in all cultivars in 2020 when adverse weather conditions occurred and commercial crop yield was increased, especially for 0.3 mM dose. Fruit quality traits at harvest, such as fruit weight, colour, firmness, total soluble solids and titratable acidity, were enhanced by melatonin treatments in all sweet cherry cultivars and in both years. Moreover, bioactive compounds, such as total phenolics and total and individual anthocyanins, were also found at higher levels in fruit from melatonin-treated trees with respect to controls. Thus, taking into account all these effects, 0.3 mM melatonin foliar spray, at three key points of fruit developmental stages, could be a useful tool to improve crop yield and quality traits of sweet cherries, especially their content on bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties and health beneficial effects.

Impact of Potassium Pre-Harvest Applications on Fruit Quality and Condition of Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium L.) Cultivated under Plastic Covers in Southern Chile Orchards.

In rainy locations, sweet cherry is cultivated under plastic covers, which are useful to prevent fruit cracking but decrease cherry quality such as firmness and acidity. Here we evaluate the impact of pre-harvest K foliar applications on harvest and post-harvest fruit quality and condition of sweet cherry cultivated under plastic covers in southern Chile orchards. The study was performed on two commercial orchards (cv. Regina), located in different regions, during two consecutive seasons. In all cases, a conventional K regime (four sprays) was compared to an intensive K regimen (seven sprays). Results showed that cherries from the most southern region revealed lower acidity but higher soluble solids content weight and size. The intensive K regime improved the firmness and acidity of fruits of covered trees at harvest and post-harvest. Moreover, we found that condition defects were higher in fruits from un-covered trees and that trees grown under intensive K regime showed lower levels of cracking at harvest and pitting at post-harvest compared to trees treated with the conventional K regime. Otherwise, pedicel browning was inconsistently affected by K sprays. Our results revealed that an intensive K regime could improve the quality and condition of fruits at harvest and post-harvest in covered orchards of sweet cherry cv. Regina; however, the impacts can significantly vary depending on season and locality.

Integrative analyses of metabolome and transcriptome reveals metabolomic variations and candidate genes involved in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) fruit quality during development and ripening.

Sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.), one of the most appreciated and most important commercial temperate fruits, has high sensory quality and nutritional value. Investigating its metabolic variations provides valuable information on the formation of fruit quality. In this study, widely targeted LC-MS/MS based metabolomics was used to identify and quantify metabolic changes during ‘Black Pearl’ sweet cherry development and ripening. A total of 263 significant differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) were detected during the four fruit-development stages. Significant differences were observed in the composition and content of compounds in the four stages of cherry development, especially sugars, organic acids, and flavonoids. Moreover, transcriptome analysis provided a molecular basis for metabolic variations during fruit development. A total of 6724 significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Further correlation analysis of major DEMs and DEGs showed that 19 key DEGs were involved in sugar metabolism, 23 key DEGs in organic acid metabolism, and 13 key DEGs in flavonoid metabolism. The upregulated genes involved in the flavonoid pathway probably play an important role in regulating the rapid increase of anthocyanin content during fruit development. These comprehensive analysis data provide a better understanding to improve fruit quality traits based on molecular and metabolic levels.

Canopy Spraying of Abscisic Acid to Improve Fruit Quality of Different Sweet Cherry Cultivars

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a major role in promoting ripening in sweet cherry, a non-climacteric fruit. Exogenous application of ABA has been performed to study fruit ripening and cracking, but this growth regulator is not used for commercial production. To determine the potential of this growth regulator to improve sweet cherry fruit quality, ABA canopy spraying was assayed in four cultivars. Canopy spraying of S-ABA significantly: (1) enhanced sweet cherry fruit color in ‘Glenred’, ‘Lapins’ and ‘Bing’ cultivars, but not in ‘Royal Rainier’ (a bi-colored cultivar), and (2) decreased fruit size and firmness in ‘Lapins’, ‘Bing’ and ‘Royal Rainier’. Seasonally reproducible effects were seen in ‘Lapins’ (mid/late-maturing) but not in ‘Glenred’ (early-maturing). Canopy spraying of nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) decreased color and increased fruit size in ‘Lapins’, but not in ‘Glenred’. Direct application of ABA on fruits attached to the tree, without application to the foliage, increased ‘Lapins’ fruit color without reducing size. These results suggest a localized fruit response to exogenous ABA application on fruit color development, but that a decrease in fruit size may be due to the effects of exogenous ABA on the tree canopy foliage.

Role of methyl jasmonate application regime on fruit quality and bioactive compounds of sweet cherry at harvest and during cold storage

In the study, it is aimed to determine whether the harvest can be delayed with the application of MeJA in sweet cherry fruits. For this purpose, some of the fruits were collected on the estimated harvest date, while some were kept on the tree for an extra week. Delayed harvest caused a significant increase in fruit mass of control and MeJA treatment performed 1 week before the estimated harvest. On the other hand, in MeJA treatments made 2 or 3 weeks before estimated harvest, there were no significant differences between harvest dates in terms of fruit mass. Fruit firmness showed a significant decrease because of delayed harvest in both control and MeJA treatments. Firmness measured in late harvested fruits was lower in MeJA treatments compared to the control. Control fruits had higher cracking index than fruits treated with MeJA at normal harvest and delayed harvest date. Delaying harvest resulted in increases in vitamin total phenolics, total flavonoids, anthocyanin content, and antioxidant activity of fruits in both control and MeJA treatments. In the study, the effect of MeJA applications on the change in fruit quality characteristics during storage was also investigated. Compared to the control, MeJA treatments reduced weight loss and respiration rate during storage. The total phenolics, total flavonoids, anthocyanin content, and antioxidant activities measured during the storage period were also found to be higher in MeJA applications compared to the control. Practical applications The study provides knowledge on the cold storage of sweet cherry. It presents the effect of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) sprayed on trees in different regimes before harvest on the quality characteristics and bioactive compounds of sweet cherry during harvest and cold storage.

Abscisic acid applied to sweet cherry at fruit set increases amounts of cell wall and cuticular wax components at the ripe stage

Cuticle integrity represents an important factor in fruit quality of sweet cherries. Plants hormones, especially abscisic acid (ABA), are involved in fruit cuticle integrity. The effect of pre-harvest application of abscisic acid on cherry fruit cuticles was investigated. Changes of the concentrations of several phytohormones, expression levels of genes related to cell wall-modification, and to wax- and cutin biosynthesis were measured five days after applying ABA to sweet cherry trees (Prunus avium cv. Bing) at the stage of fruit set. At the ripe stage changes in cell wall polymers and fruit cuticle composition were measured. Our results show that pre-harvest application of 0.1 mM ABA at the stage of fruit set resulted in increased levels of zeatin ribose (204-fold), zeatin (126-fold), salicylic acid (30-fold), and ABA (19-fold). Transcription levels of key genes involved in cuticle biosynthesis, the transcription factor PaWINA and the wax biosynthesis-related enzyme PaLACS1 (5.8- and 3.4-fold increase), as well as for the key enzyme PaNCED1, involved in ABA biosynthesis (6.9-fold increase), were increased. At the ripe stage, contents of covalently-bound pectins and hemicelluloses were higher with a concomitant reduction of water-soluble polymers in ABA-treated fruits. Amounts of linear long-chain aliphatic wax compounds, especially C27, C29, and C31 alkanes, were increased (1.2-, 1.3- and 2.3-fold, respectively), whereas no effect of ABA on pentycylcic triterpenoids was observed. We conclude that ABA treatment of cherry trees at the stage of fruit set positively affects sweet cherry fruit quality at ripening by enforcing the cell wall and modifying the cuticle composition.