Green Bean Pods Research Articles

A Preliminary Evaluation of Faba Bean as a Green Shell Bean in Virginia, USA

Even though faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is an important food crop on worldwide basis, its use as a vegetable i.e. use of green seeds as food is limited. We were interested in characterizing production and food quality traits of faba bean grown in eastern USA. Our main objective is to develop faba bean as a winter alternative crop for this region to diversify cropping system that currently mainly depends upon cereal grain crops. This necessitates existence of winter-hardy faba bean varieties. We conducted a preliminary experiment with two winter-hardy faba bean breeding lines to record production and seed composition traits. Two faba bean lines (VSX-BL and VSX-BH) were planted in the field in November 2022 and green pods were harvested in June 2023 at physiological maturity. Values of most of the traits under study were statistically similar between the two lines except for concentration of phosphorus. Results demonstrated that faba bean green pod and green seeds yields could be approximately 5700 and 2100 kg ha-1. The shelling percent in green faba bean pods was approximately 37 whereas seed number per pod was approximately 2.6. Concentrations (g 100 g-1) of fructose, glucose, and sucrose were 0.245, 0.668, 2.9021, respectively whereas concentrations of Fe and Zn (mg kg-1) were 103.7 and 69.7, respectively. Green faba bean seeds contained small amounts of RFO carbohydrates. Seed composition traits of green faba bean seeds compare well with green seeds of pea, soybean, and white lupin. Our results provide a positive proof of concept that production of green faba bean as an alternate winter food legume crop in eastern USA is possible.

Almond By-Products Substrates as Sustainable Amendments for Green Bean Cultivation.

Almond processing generates a high quantity of by-products, presenting the untapped potential for alternative applications and improved sustainability in production. This study aimed to evaluate whether the incorporation of almond by-products (hulls/shells) can improve the biochemical characteristics of green bean pods when used as an alternative to traditional growing media in green bean plants. Four substrates were prepared: the Control substrate (C): 70% peat + 30% perlite; substrate (AS): 70% peat + 30% shells; substrate (AH): 70% peat + 30% perlite + 1 cm hulls as mulch; substrate (MIX): 70% peat + 15% shells + 15% hulls. Plants were grown in each of these substrates and subjected to two irrigation levels, 100% and 50% of their water-holding capacity. Biochemical parameters (photosynthetic pigments, total phenolics, flavonoids, ortho-diphenols, soluble proteins, antioxidant capacity) and color were evaluated in the harvested pods. Results showed that pods from plants growing in AH substrate presented statistically significant higher values in their total phenolic content, while AS and MIX substrates did not reveal significant benefits. Summarily, this study highlights the potential of almond hulls as a promising medium for green bean cultivation, particularly when employed as mulch. Further research is recommended to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the application of almond by-products as natural fertilizers/mulch.

Effect of Carboxymethyl Cellulose with Edible Coating on Chemical and physical Characters of Fresh-Cut Green Bean Pods during Cold Storage.

Effect of Carboxymethyl Cellulose with Edible Coating on Chemical and physical Characters of Fresh-Cut Green Bean Pods during Cold Storage.

Response of Biofortified Green Bean Plants to Colletotrichum lindemuthianum

Enhancing crop nutrition though biofortification with essential minerals can, in some circumstances, increase the resistance of plants to the attack by pathogens. As a result, plants activate their defense mechanisms and produce bioactive compounds (BCs) in response. To date, there has been no investigation into the response of green bean plants fortified with magnesium (Mg) salts to the presence of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum. This research involved two Mg sources applied by the edaphic route. The pathogen was inoculated on green bean pods, and subsequent analysis was conducted on the accumulation of BCs, including total anthocyanins, total phenols, and total flavonoids, within both symptomatic and healthy tissues. Remarkably, the plant’s defense system was activated, as evidenced by the significantly higher concentration of anthocyanins (p ≤ 0.05) observed in the symptomatic tissues following treatments with both MgCl2 and MgSO4. Further, green bean plants treated with MgSO4 displayed notably elevated concentrations of phenols (p ≤ 0.05) in the inoculated tissues of the pods, suggesting a plausible plant defense mechanism. The levels of BCs were considerably higher in green bean pods of the biofortified plants compared to those which were nonbiofortified. However, perhaps one of the most noteworthy findings is that there were no discernible differences between biofortified and nonbiofortified treatments in stopping anthracnose in green bean pods. These results provide valuable insights contributing to a deeper understanding of this interaction.

Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties of green broad bean pods (Vicia faba L.)

This study featured broad/fava bean pods as by-products of food production. It assessed the chemical composition of green bean pods (Vicia faba L.) and their methanolic extract.
 The extract was tested in vitro for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities against prostate cancer (Pc3) and liver cancer (HepG2) cells. Broad bean pods proved to be rich in carbohydrates, fiber, protein, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. The extract contained 286 mg GAE/g total phenols and 105 mg QE/g total flavonoids. The antioxidant activity of the methanolic extract was measured by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The highest DPPH scavenging activity belonged to the extract concentrations of 1000 μg/mL (80.5%) and 500 μg/mL (73.7%), whereas the IC50 value was 87.35 μg/mL. The methanolic extract possessed the anti-inflammatory effect as it significantly reduced the hemolysis of red blood cells. The maximal inhibition percentage reached 66.7% at 1000 μg/mL. Regarding the antimicrobial activity, the broad bean pod methanolic extract inhibited Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as Candida albicans. The extract reduced the cell viability of human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) and prostate cancer (PC3) cells in a concentration-dependent manner. It also caused significant changes in cell shape, compared to the control.
 Therefore, broad beans can be recommended for human consumption together with pods, fresh or cooked, as a potential source of bioactive substances in functional food production.

Can foliar application of natural biostimulants reduce nitrate and fiber content in fresh green bean under soil nutrient deficiency?

BackgroundThere is a growing body of literature that recognizes the importance of natural biostimulants in the agricultural productivity. This potential can play an important role in addressing the issue of cultivation on sandy soil, which is well-known with soil nutrient deficiency stress. In the current study, the selected biostimulants (i.e., chitosan, amino acids, yeast extract, and humic acid) were foliar applied on green bean in the open field of alkaline sandy soils.ResultsThe main results that obtained after harvesting the fresh green bean pods were confirmed that all studied biostimulants improved the quantity and quality of green bean production compared to the control. Chitosan was the best applied biostimulants for producing green bean in a lower fiber and nitrate content of pods, a higher crude protein content of pods, and higher NPK content in the leaves.ConclusionThe role of studies biostimulants in promoting green bean productivity under nutrient deficiency stress may back to increase the uptake of nutrients (NPK), plant physiological (higher dry matter) and biochemical attributes (higher crude protein). More studies are needed using different applied doses and more different kinds of natural biostimulants.

Exploring deficit irrigation as a water conservation strategy: Insights from field experiments and model simulation

Deficit irrigation has emerged as a viable approach to increase agricultural water productivity. The objectives of this study were to 1) develop water conservation strategies by investigating responses of green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and sweet corn (Zea mays var. saccharata) to four irrigation treatments and 2) evaluate the performance of the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) model in simulating growth and yield responses of green bean and sweet corn under four irrigation treatments. A field experiment was conducted using 32 experimental plots, established under a linear move sprinkler irrigation system equipped with variable rate irrigation (VRI) technology, at the Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC), Homestead for two cropping seasons between November and March in 2020–2021 and 2021–2022. The experiment involved four irrigation treatments: full irrigation (FI) (T4), and three levels of deficit irrigation, 75% FI (T3), 50% FI (T2), and 25% FI (T1) with four replications arranged in a completely randomized block design (RCBD) for each crop. The average soil moisture content of the full irrigation treatments was maintained above the management allowable depletion (MAD). Field data collection included various parameters of the crops including plant phenology, plant height, canopy width, fresh and dry biomass, and yield. Results confirmed that all three deficit irrigation treatments did not significantly affect the yield and yield components of the two crops during both seasons compared to the T4. This finding revealed that the highest crop water productivity was achieved from T1, 38.3 and 41.4 kg m−3 for green bean and 54 and 53 kg m−3 for sweet corn during the 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 seasons and up to 75% irrigation water saving could be achieved without affecting plant growth and yield. The DSSAT model performed well in simulating yield and yield components for the two crops in response to the four irrigation treatments. Model evaluation results showed that the minimum mean absolute error (MAE) for green bean fresh pod yield simulation was 2.1 Mg ha−1 with an index of agreement (d-Stat) of 0.6, while for biomass, it was 0.24 Mg ha−1 with a d-Stat of 1. Similarly, for sweet corn, the model simulated fresh cob yield with a minimum MAE of 6.51 Mg ha−1 and d-Stat of 0.9 and biomass with MAE of 1.63 Mg ha−1 and d-Stat of 0.9. Overall, implementing deficit irrigation in green bean and sweet corn fields could result in considerable water savings while achieving acceptable crop yield. The DSSAT model could be also a useful tool to simulate green bean and sweet corn responses to different irrigation scenarios and aid water management decisions under South Florida conditions.

A new computer vision workflow to assess yield quality traits in bush bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Quality assessments of horticultural products are still often carried out manually in breeding contexts, although computer vision systems have been reported to be able to overcome the limitations of manual assessments, e.g. in automated food processing. Here, a new computer vision workflow for quality trait assessment of bush bean pods (Phaseolus vulgaris) is introduced to replace physical measurements and visual scorings of expert breeders, while increasing consistency, accuracy, and objectivity of the measurements. A closed imaging box was used to take images of bean pods from 40 different varieties to develop and validate computer vision workflows to assess breeding relevant shape and color traits of bean pods. For the detection of beaks and peduncles via a neural network approach (Mask R-CNN) accuracies of 95.5% were reached. Computer vision estimations and manual reference measurements of length and caliber were highly correlated (R=0.99). Also, curvature and brightness of green bean pods well- correlated with visual scorings of expert breeders (R=0.81, R=-0.87). A Random Forest Classifier was trained to distinguish yellow and extremely rare bicolored pods and a cross validation accuracy of 83 ±7% was reached. An additional backlight LED panel enabled non-destructive analysis of seed formation inside the pod and promising results were achieved using a Faster R-CNN model. This new computer vision workflow provides the opportunity to replace well-established manual workflows for quality trait assessment of bush bean pods as it is more objective, reliable, and considerably faster.

Biofortification with magnesium nanofertilizer on bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity in green beans

The use of nanofertilizers has the potential to be used to enrich edible organs with nutrients (biofortification) and improve the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds and their antioxidant capacity. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of biofortification with magnesium (Mg) nanofertilizer on the accumulation of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity in green bean cv. Strike compared to a conventional fertilizer (Mg sulfate). Two sources of Mg were applied via foliar: Nanofertilizer and Mg Sulfate at doses of 0, 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg/L of Mg. The accumulation of total polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant capacity was evaluated in pods. The results obtained in this research confirm the effect of green bean pods biofortified with Mg nanofertilizers on the production and accumulation of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity, improving the nutrition and nutraceutical quality of green beans. The 50 mg/L dose of Mg nanofertilizer was the most effective treatment to increase bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity compared to high doses of Mg sulfate (300 mg/L). This is one of the first studies focused on biofortification with Mg nanofertilizers and their effect on the nutraceutical quality of green beans.

Reuse of Agro-industrial Green Bean Pod Residue for the Production of Original Catalytic Composites and Application in Fenton Reactions

Reuse of Agro-industrial Green Bean Pod Residue for the Production of Original Catalytic Composites and Application in Fenton Reactions

POTENTIAL USE OF PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SQUASH SEEDS (Cucurbita moschata), PEA PODS (Pisum sativum) AND GREEN BEAN (Phaseolus vulgaris) IN AGROINDUSTRY 4.0

Castilla squash (Cucurbita moschata), pea pods (Pisum sativum) and pinto Saltillo green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) seed shells are considered organic wastes due to the lack of knowledge about their physical, nutritional and medicinal characteristics and their relevance in agroindustrial production. The consumption of functional, synthetic and semi-synthetic products increases worldwide, as does the need for research on non-traditional species with agroindustrial potential. The objective of this research was to analyse the physical characteristics of Castilla squash seeds with shells, whole pods of Saltillo pinto green bean, and pea pods, and to transform them into flours to identify their potential use in Agroindustry 4.0. Pea pods showed the greatest width (11.17 mm) and thickness (9.19 mm), the greatest length was found in green bean pods (125.18 mm), while squash seeds showed the lowest values in these three variables. The squash seed flour presented higher internal friction (0.98) and higher external friction on wood (1.32) as did the pea pod flour (1.33) also on wood. In contrast, the mean values of strain percentage by hardness, recovery after work and specimen length showed no statistical difference (p > 0.05) between the masses. These flours meet the specifications of the Mexican standard for wheat flour; therefore, they can be used in blends to fortify products or in the manufacture of industrial machines for processing the raw material.

Proximal and mineral composition analysis of castilla squash seeds (C. moschata), green pea (P. sativum) and green bean (P. vulgaris) for use in 4.0 Agribusiness

Objective: To determine the proximal and mineral composition analysis of of castilla squash seeds (C. moschata), green pea (P. sativum) and pinto saltillo green bean (P. vulgaris). Design/methodology/approach: The contents of macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, crude fiber, protein, and ash) and micronutrients (minerals) of the evaluated species were determined using the AOAC standard procedures, and the quantification of minerals was performed by mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma. A variance analysis and means comparison were performed with Tukey’s test (α = 0.05). Results: The squash seeds with shells contain 291,500 ppm of protein, 417,000 ppm of fat, 66,700 ppm of carbohydrates, 134,000 ppm of crude fiber, 972,319.678 ppm of phosphorus, 3,380.09158 ppm of potassium and 3,183.2744 ppm of magnesium. The whole pea pod has 230,600 ppm of protein, 17,200 ppm of fat, 456,000 ppm of carbohydrates, 220,800 ppm of crude fiber, 5,438.18,991 ppm of phosphorus, 7,349.23753 ppm of potassium and 1,719.56882 ppm of magnesium. The whole green bean pods had a content of protein (185100 ppm), fat (2540 ppm), carbohydrates (377500 ppm), fiber (208000 ppm), phosphorus (6068.44661 ppm), potassium (15626.9991 ppm) and magnesium (17222.16567 ppm)). Study limitations/implications: Studies on the chemical characteristics of other agroindustrial residues should be carried out. Findings/conclusions: The foods analyzed have adequate characteristics to satisfy the demands with respect to some macronutrients and micronutrients. They can optimize the availability of nutrients in the generation of natural or synthetic foods that can change the future.

Increasing the Storability of Fresh-Cut Green Beans by Using Chitosan as a Carrier for Tea Tree and Peppermint Essential Oils and Ascorbic Acid.

The quality of fresh-cut green beans deteriorates rapidly in storage, which contributes to increased food waste and lower perceived customer value. However, chitosan (Cs) and certain plant essential oils show promise in reducing postharvest quality loss during storage. Here, the effect of Cs and the combinations of Cs + tea tree oil (TTO), Cs +x peppermint oil (PMO), and Cs + ascorbic acid (AsA) on the quality of fresh-cut green bean pods (FC-GB) is studied over a 15-d storage period at 5 °C. All four FC-GB treatments reduced weight loss and maintained firmness during storage when compared to uncoated FC-GB. Furthermore, all treatments showed higher total chlorophyll content, AsA, total phenolic compounds, and total sugars compared to the control. The best treatment for reducing microbial growth was a combination of Cs + AsA. Additionally, the combination of Cs with TTO, PMO, or AsA showed a significant reduction in the browning index and increased the antioxidant capacity of FC-GB up to 15 d postharvest.

Intra- and Interspecific Variation in the Susceptibility to Insecticides of Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) That Attack Soybean and Maize in Southern Brazil.

This study evaluated intra- and interspecific variation regarding the susceptibility to insecticides of key pentatomid pests of soybean (Glycine max L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) crops in Brazil. To perform bioassays, populations of Euschistus heros (F.), Diceraeus (=Dichelops) furcatus (F.), Nezara viridula (L.), and Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) were collected in soybean fields in Southern Brazil during the 2020/2021 crop season. Then, stink bugs were exposed to doses of commercial insecticides commonly applied for its control in dip-test bioassays using fresh green bean pods. In general, all stink bug species and populations studied were susceptible to acephate, acetamiprid + bifenthrin, imidacloprid + bifenthrin, and ethiprole, with mortality rates > 80%. Most populations of E. heros and D. furcatus, considered the main stink bugs that attack soybean and maize, respectively, presented low or intermediate susceptibility to acetamiprid + α-cypermethrin, ζ-cypermethrin + bifenthrin, dinotefuran + λ-cyhalothrin, and bifenthrin + carbosulfan. Except for bifenthrin + carbosulfan (mortality < 57%), secondary stink bugs species that attack soybean (N. viridula and P. guildinii) showed pronounced susceptibility to all insecticides tested, with mortality rates > 70%. In summary, the populations of E. heros and D. furcatus showed diminished susceptibility to various insecticides formulated with the mixture of neonicotinoids + pyrethroids, whereas N. viridula and P. guildinii were most susceptible to the insecticides evaluated. The implications of these findings to integrated and resistance management programs are discussed.

Effect of Biofertilizers on the Integrated Culture of Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia and Green Beans in Aquaponics

This study was designed to determine the effect of commercial biofertilizers, namely chitosan, Bacillus spp. and Effective Microorganism formulation on the production efficiency of Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in an aquaponic system. The intended purpose was to examine if the production of the two integrated species can be optimized by cost-effective methods consistent with the concept of circular economy. While the biofertilizers performed water quality remediation as seen from the dynamics of turnover of ammonia (NH3), nitrite (NH2), nitrate (NO3) and phosphate (PO4) but produced no significant impact on growth of the fish, and the green bean could not attain the fruiting stage. Green beans that generally produce white-purplish flowers which transform into pods dropped off after one week on the plant. The water quality parameters: dissolved oxygen (5.54 to 6.12 mg/L), pH (6.9 to 7.0) and water temperature 26.7 to 27.8oC were in the suitable range but evidently the green bean faced deficiency of nutrients that are needed for fruiting. The nutritional management requires further investigations since the green bean pods are a rich source of human food, and maximum benefits from aquaponics can be derived through their production and faster growth of the fish. The trend of fish growth suggests that the biofertilizers will result in significant growth advantage if the treatment is carried out over a longer faming period.

Etoxazole Stability under Thermal Storage and Its Residues on Green Bean Rods by Quechers Method

A Commercial acaricide etoxazole suspension concentrate (SC) formulation 10% under trade name dagrozoom was purchased from the Egyptian local market to study the etoxazole behavior in the field on green bean pods to estimate the pre-harvest period (PHI) and study the stability of etoxazole active ingredient under accelerator thermal storage conditions according to the food and agriculture organization (FAO) under different temperatures 35±2 оC for 90 days, 45±2 oC for 21days, 54±2 oC for 14 days and 72±2 oC for 5 days. Results indicated that suggested PHI for etoxazole according to the maximum residue limits (MRL) for green bean pods was 15 days from treatment and indicated also that etoxazole active ingredient was more stable and was conformity with FAO specifications when stored at 35±2 oC for 90 days, 45±2 oC for 21days and 54±2 oC for 14 days, on the other side the rate of thermal decomposition of etoxazole active ingredient was increased when stored at 72±2 oC for 5 days and became nonconformity with FAO after 3 days of storage.

Green Bean, Pea and Mesquite Whole Pod Flours Nutritional and Functional Properties and Their Effect on Sourdough Bread.

In this study, proximal composition, mineral analysis, polyphenolic compounds identification, and antioxidant and functional activities were determined in green bean (GBF), mesquite (MF), and pea (PF) flours. Different mixtures of legume flour and wheat flour for bread elaboration were determined by a simplex-centroid design. After that, the proximal composition, color, specific volume, polyphenol content, antioxidant activities, and functional properties of the different breads were evaluated. While GBF and PF have a higher protein content (41–47%), MF has a significant fiber content (19.9%) as well as a higher polyphenol content (474.77 mg GAE/g) and antioxidant capacities. It was possible to identify Ca, K, and Mg and caffeic and enolic acids in the flours. The legume–wheat mixtures affected the fiber, protein content, and the physical properties of bread. Bread with MF contained more fiber; meanwhile, PF and GBF benefit the protein content. With MF, the specific bread volume only decreased by 7%. These legume flours have the potential to increase the nutritional value of bakery goods.

Pseudomonas cerasi, the new wild cherry pathogen in Serbia and the potential use of recG helicase in bacterial identification

AbstractIn May 2016, an unusual appearance of leaf spot (water‐soaked, brown‐purple, round to angular surrounded with yellow halos) was observed on the leaves of wild cherry specimens grown in Rimski Šančevi, Vojvodina (North Serbia). The causal pathogen was isolated from the wild cherry diseased leaves on Nutrient Agar supplemented with 5% sucrose and identified as Pseudomonas cerasi based on multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA). PCR amplification and sequencing of four housekeeping genes—gapA, gltA, rpoD and gyrB—showed 100% (gapA, gltA), 99.81% (rpoD) and 99.67% (gyrB) identity with P. cerasi type strain CFBP8305T (=58T = LMG28609T) and strain PL963 sequences from NCBI database. Pseudomonas cerasi isolates (coded as RE10‐RE19) were LOPAT +− − − + (Pseudomonas Group Ia) and GATTa + − + −, produced fluorescent pigment, were able to utilise lactic and aspartic acid, but not tartaric acid. All isolates were pathogenic on wild cherry seedlings and leaves, immature sweet and sour cherry fruitlets, as well as on lilac leaves and green bean pods. This study also aimed to design new primers (recG‐F/recG‐R) for amplification of recG gene (encoding ATP‐dependent DNA helicase RecG) known for its crucial role in DNA recombination and repair. Amplification of this gene enabled high identification ability of our wild cherry isolates as well as isolates belonging to the closely related stone fruit pathogenic Pseudomonas species. The obtained results highlight the potential of using recG gene for the specific detection and the identification of pathogenic Pseudomonas syringae complex. This research presents the first report of P. cerasi infecting wild cherry as well as first description of this bacterium in Serbia. Obtained results indicate the risk from further spread of this bacterium with the infected cherries rootstock, having a key role in its epidemiology.

DISSIPATION OF CYFLUMETOFEN IN STRAWBERRY FRUITS AND GREEN BEAN PODS UNDER GREENHOUSE CONDITIONS USING QUECHERS METHOD AND GC/(μ-ECD)

Strawberry and green bean are important cash crops. Both are highly infected by different pests under greenhouse conditions causing reduction in quality and yield. Mites are usually from the most common pests of beans and strawberries. Field experiment was carried out to investigate dissipation of Cyflumetofen (a novel acaricide) in strawberry fruits and green bean pods. Determination was done using quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, safe (QuEChERS) method and cleanup step utilizing dispersive solid-phase extraction (DSPE) followed by gas chromatography coupled with a micro electron capture detector GC/(μ-ECD). Average recoveries were within 80.75-92.15% and 80.86-82.91%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) ranging from 2.8 to 6.6% and 3.59-4.70%. in strawberry and green bean samples, respectively at spiking levels (0.01 - 1 mg/kg). Linearity was achieved for Cyflumetofen with correlation coefficient R2 > 0.98 and matrix-matched calibration also showed linearity with determination coefficients R2 > 0.98. The initial deposits in strawberry fruits and green bean pods were 2.48 and 3.24 mg/kg, respectively. The half-life period (RL50) in strawberry fruits and green bean pods was 1.81 and 1.16 days, respectively. According to maximum residue level (MRL) which is 0.6 mg/kg, the pre-harvest interval (PHI) was estimated to be 3 days in strawberry fruits.

Extending the Shelf-Life of Fresh-Cut Green Bean Pods by Ethanol, Ascorbic Acid, and Essential Oils.

Green beans are a perishable crop, which deteriorate rapidly after harvest, particularly when minimally processed into ready-to-eat fresh-cut green beans. This study investigated the effectiveness of ethanol, ascorbic acid (AsA), tea tree essential oil (TTO), and peppermint essential oil (PMO) on the quality and storability of fresh-cut green bean pods samples stored at 5 °C for 15 days. Our results indicated that samples treated with ethanol, AsA, TTO, and PMO preserved appearance, firmness (except ethanol), chlorophyll content, and moisture compared with the samples without any treatment (control). Additionally, higher vitamin C, total soluble solids (TSS), total sugars, and total phenolic compounds (TPC) were observed in samples treated with ethanol, AsA, TTO, and PMO compared with the control. The most effective treatments for controlling microbial growth were ethanol followed by either TTO or PMO. All the treatments had positive effects on shelf life, maintained quality, and reducing microbial growth during 15 days of cold storage. A particular treatment can be selected based on the economic feasibility and critical control point in the value chain.