Harvest Maturity Research Articles

Maturity Grading and Identification of Camellia oleifera Fruit Based on Unsupervised Image Clustering

Maturity grading and identification of Camellia oleifera are prerequisites to determining proper harvest maturity windows and safeguarding the yield and quality of Camellia oil. One problem in Camellia oleifera production and research is the worldwide confusion regarding the grading and identification of Camellia oleifera fruit maturity. To solve this problem, a Camellia oleifera fruit maturity grading and identification model based on the unsupervised image clustering model DeepCluster has been developed in the current study. The proposed model includes the following two branches: a maturity grading branch and a maturity identification branch. The proposed model jointly learns the parameters of the maturity grading branch and maturity identification branch and used the maturity clustering assigned from the maturity grading branch as pseudo-labels to update the parameters of the maturity identification branch. The maturity grading experiment was conducted using a training set consisting of 160 Camellia oleifera fruit samples and 2628 Camellia oleifera fruit digital images collected using a smartphone. The proposed model for grading Camellia oleifera fruit samples and images in training set into the following three maturity levels: unripe (47 samples and 883 images), ripe (62 samples and 1005 images), and overripe (51 samples and 740 images). Results suggest that there was a significant difference among the maturity stages graded by the proposed method with respect to seed oil content, seed soluble protein content, seed soluble sugar content, seed starch content, dry seed weight, and moisture content. The maturity identification experiment was conducted using a testing set consisting of 160 Camellia oleifera fruit digital images (50 unripe, 60 ripe, and 50 overripe) collected using a smartphone. According to the results, the overall accuracy of maturity identification for Camellia oleifera fruit was 91.25%. Moreover, a Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping (Grad-CAM) visualization analysis reveals that the peel regions, crack regions, and seed regions were the critical regions for Camellia oleifera fruit maturity identification. Our results corroborate a maturity grading and identification application of unsupervised image clustering techniques and are supported by additional physical and quality properties of maturity. The current findings may facilitate the harvesting process of Camellia oleifera fruits, which is especially critical for the improvement of Camellia oil production and quality.

Effect of Ozonation on the Mechanical, Chemical, and Microbiological Properties of Organically Grown Red Currant (Ribes rubrum L.) Fruit

Red currant fruits are a valuable source of micro- and macronutrients, vitamins, and chemical compounds with health-promoting properties, the properties of which change depending on the harvest date and the time and method of storage. This study analysed the effect of applying 10 ppm ozone gas for 15 and 30 min on the mechanical properties, chemical properties and microbiological stability of three organic-grown red currant fruit cultivars. Fruits harvested at the time of harvest maturity had significantly larger diameters and weights and lower water contents compared with fruits harvested seven days earlier, and the ozonation process, regardless of its harvesting date, reduced the physical parameters in question (diameter, weight, and water content). The ascorbic acid content of the ozonated fruit varied, with the highest decreases observed for fruit harvested 7 days before the optimal harvest date and stored for 15 days under refrigeration (an average decrease of 13.31% compared with the control fruit without ozonation). In general, the ozonation process had a positive effect on the variation of fruit antioxidant activity, with the highest average values obtained for fruit harvested 7 days before the optimum harvest date and stored for 15 days under refrigeration conditions; in addition, it also had an effect on reducing the development of microorganisms, including mesophilic aerobic bacteria, yeasts, and moulds, mainly for the cultivar 'Losan'.

Identifikasi Karakter Morfologis dan Hubungan Kekerabatan Tanaman Jahe ( Zingiber officinale Rosc.) di Kabupaten Siamlaungun

Ginger plants were grown in large areas in Indonesia through inter cropping and diversecroped. Simalungun was one of the largest ginger producer centers in North Sumatra. The aim of the study was to identify the morphological characters and relationship of ginger in Simalungun Regency. This research was conducted in three districts ; Purba District, Dolok Masagal District and Raya District from September to November 2021. The UPOV (International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants) descriptor was used with purposive sampling technique. Parameters observed were plant habitus, plant height, number of stems, type of top growth, number of leaves on main stem, stem lenght, leaf width, intensity of green color on stems,leaf lenght, leaf width, intensity of green color on leaves, rhizome total weight, rhizome shape, rhizome skin color, rhizome surface texture, number of rhizomes, rhizome size, rhizome colour, time of sprouting (after planting), time of harvest maturity. The result of this study showed there were wide and narrow diversity on the observed characters and the closest value of the relationship is 2.019 in samples B1J4 and F1J5, while the farthest value of the relationship is 35.903 in samples A1J1 and A1J2.

Quality changes of acerola fruit harvested at different maturity stages and exposed to external ethylene

Although acerola (Malpighia emarginata D.C.) has been suggested to be a climacteric fruit, little is known about its sensitivity to exogenous ethylene. The objective of the study was to evaluate the quality changes of acerola fruit at two harvest maturity stages in response to external ethylene application. ‘Flor Branca’ and ‘Junko’ acerolas were harvested at the maturity stages 1 (green fruit with density>1 g cm-3) and 2(green fruit with density <1 g cm-3) and were treated with 0 or 1,000 µL L-1 of ethylene for 24 hours at 12 ºC.The fruit were stored at 12 ºC with relative humidity of 90-95% for 14 days. Both cultivars harvested at the maturity stage 2 showed skin color change from green to red during storage, which was not observed in fruit harvested at the maturity stage 1.External ethylene had no effect on 'Flor Branca' and 'Junko' acerolas respiration rate, flesh firmness, skin color, weight loss, soluble solids (SS), titratable acidity (AT), SS/AT ratio, and ascorbic acid contents. The classification of green acerolas by density was an effective approach to determine fruit harvest maturity for fresh consumption.

The impact of wheat bran and molasses addition to caramba mix silage on feed value and in vitro organic matter digestibility

BackgroundThe fermentation process in silage is an inherently uncontrolled process that results in significant nutritional losses. Supplementing silage with different additives may boost nutrient and energy recovery during fermentation, which in turn can boost animal productivity. However, the impact of wheat bran and molasses addition on feed value of caramba mix silage is unknown. MethodsThis study determined the impact of molasses and wheat straw addition on fermentation and in vitro organic matter digestibility of caramba mix silage. Caramba was cut at harvest maturity and subjected to five different treatments, i.e., control, addition of 5% and 10% molasses, and addition of 5% and 10% wheat bran. Caramba mix and additives were mixed and ensiled into laboratory type 1 L glass containers. Silage fermentation, chemical and microbiological composition, and in vitro metabolic energy content in silages were determined 60 days after the initiation of treatments. ResultsDifferent chemical and microbial properties of silage were significantly altered by the addition of molasses and wheat bran. The addition of 10% molasses resulted in the highest values of all measured traits of Caramba mix silage. The dry matter was 27.00%, 28.44%, 33.93%, 32.67%, and 30.61% in control, 5% molasses, 10% molasses, 5% wheat bran and 10% wheat bran, respectively. Similarly, pH was 5.32, 4.89, 4.56, 4.62, and 4.39 in control, 5% molasses, 10% molasses, 5% wheat bran and 10% wheat bran, respectively. Likewise, crude protein was 14.58%, 13.03%, 16.23%, 14.75%, and 16.42% in control, 5% molasses, 10% molasses, 5% wheat bran and 10% wheat bran, respectively. ConclusionIt is concluded that addition of molasses and wheat bran to the caramba mix silage increased the chemical, and microbiological qualities. Particularly molasses improved the digestibility of silage. Therefore, it is recommended that 10% molasses should be added during the fermentation of the silage to improve chemical, and microbiological properties of Caramba mix silage.

Kışlık ve Yazlık Ekilen Bazı Nohut Çeşitlerine Kimyasal Uygulamaların Etkisi

This research was carried out in the experimental area of the Eastern Mediterranean Agricultural Research Institute in 2012 and 2013. In the study, four different chemical applications (Thidiazuron, Ethephon+cyclanilide + Thidiazuron, Glyphosate, Ethephon+cyclanilide) were used in four chickpea cultivars (İnci, Hasanbey, Seçkin and Aydın), in two different sowing times for winter (December), Summer (February) and harvest maturity. It was aimed to determine some agronomic characteristics of the plant, its yield and its effects on the germination of seeds. Average and the standard deviation values of the number of major branches (1.75±0.51), the number of minor branches (6.69±3.95), the total number of pods (60.84±27.83), Number of empty pods (6.57±3.36), number of full pods (54.64±25.75), number of seeds (63.60±30.56), seed yield (23.55±11.31) differed between 4 chickpea varieties in winter sowing. In chickpea cultivars without chemical applications average and the standard deviation values of the number of major branches (1.84±0.42), the number of minor branches (7.54±4.61), the total number of pods (55.19±14.55), the number of empty pods (6.87±3.21), the number of full pods (48.68±12.9), the number of seeds (58.12±15.86), the grain yield (21.03±6.59) varied between the mean and standard deviation values. Average and the standard deviation values of the number of major branches (2.07±0.95), the number of minor branches (11.77±10.13), the total number of pods (52.59±18.06), the number of empty pods 5.72±3.74, number of full pods (47.4±15.25), number of grains (55.14±19.12), grain yield (18.36±6.46) in chickpea varieties with chemical applications exhibited difference among chickpea cultviars during in summer sowing. The number of major branches (1.94±0.91), the number of minor branches (12.83±11.56), the total number of pods (56.27±19.82), the number of empty pods (6.59±4.7) in cultivars , the number of full pods (49.82±17.18), the number of seeds (59.06±20.73), the grain yield (19.88±7.42) varied between the mean and standard deviation values during summer sowing season.

Ecological niche, genetic variation in natural populations, and harvest maturity of Senegalia macrostachya (Rchb. ex DC) Kayl. &amp; Boatwr., a promising wild and perennial edible-seeded crop

Senegalia macrostachya is a wild, perennial, and promising legume that can help alleviate food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa’s drought-prone regions. However, it has been for a long time overlooked, underutilized, and scarcely studied. This study shed light on its ecological niche, genetic variation in natural populations, and seeds’ harvest maturity. Three populations of S. macrostachya were selected along an environmental gradient, and their structures, based on their plants’ pod characteristics (i.e., unique morphological differentiation trait amongst the plants), were assessed. Then, the seeds’ development was investigated following their morphological transformation, mass accumulation, and the mobilization of their proteins and secondary metabolites. S. macrostachya has revealed low genetic variation and fitness to poor soils, warm and semi-arid climates in sub-Saharan Africa, prone to droughts and low to medium agricultural productivity. The maturation of the seeds involved the accumulation of specific late embryogenesis abundant proteins (60, 48, and 14 kDa), identified as chilling-responsive dehydrins, and the degradation of the chlorophylls and carotenoids, which could be used as biochemical landmarks of the harvest maturity. Besides, an aging symptom (high seed abortion rate (14–20%)) was observed in the study populations. This work provides unprecedented information that will assist in predicting the eco-climate suitability and climate resilience, identifying the conservation strategies, and planning the harvesting, reforestation programs, and domestication of S. macrostachya. In parallel, the dehydrins identified from S. macrostachya can be tapped into for drought-resistant crop development. Further research is needed to evaluate the impacts of the mother plants’ aging and larger climate gradient on the performance (i.e., seed productivity and regeneration ability) of S. macrostachya.

Modulation of grape cuticular wax composition following multiple heatwaves influences grape transpiration

Heat stress events (heatwaves) significantly impair grapevine leaf and berry physiology. The prevalence and frequency of heatwaves are predicted to increase in the coming decades, even in moderate climates. Despite this, many facets of heatwave effects on grapevine physiology remain unstudied. In this work, we subjected potted Gewürztraminer grapevines to a single heatwave event at mid-ripening or a double heatwave event at both the onset of ripening and mid-ripening and compared them to respective untreated control vines. The recovery of leaf and grape physiology from both events were analyzed on the day following the event and at harvest maturity through measurements of leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence, and grape size, total soluble solids, and cuticular wax composition. Both single heatwave (S-HW) and double heatwave ( D -HW) treatments reduced chlorophyll fluorescence ( Fv/Fm ) by 12.8 % and 6.1 % on the day following the heatwave, respectively. However, values recovered at harvest maturity only by S-HW. Photosynthetic rate (Pn) was not affected by treatments on the day following the heatwave, but was reduced in D -HW by 48 % at harvest maturity. Total soluble solids were also decreased only by D -HW at harvest maturity. Following the D -HW, total berry wax (by 11.8 %), as well as the total contents of triterpenoids (by 11.7 %) and aldehydes (by 14.3 %) were increased significantly at harvest maturity. Fruit cuticular transpiration was reduced by D -HW. Interestingly, this decrease in transpiration was correlated with an increase in the ratio between the two most abundant wax compounds, oleanolic acid and ursolic acid, which are both triterpenoids. This data corroborates to suggest that grapevines are resilient to a single but not a double heatwave event. Future work will further explore the effects of heatwave frequency and recovery on additional facets of leaf physiology and grape quality. • Grapevines were exposed to a single or double heatwave event during ripening. • The double heatwave reduced leaf chlorophyll fluorescence and berry soluble solids. • The double heatwave raised total wax and triterpenoid contents in berries at harvest. • The double heatwave increased the ratio of oleanolic to ursolic acid at harvest. • The oleanolic to ursolic acid ratio correlated with lower cuticular transpiration.

Effect of blanching pretreatment on the phytochemical properties, and bioactivities of ‘Herskawitz’ pomegranate peel extracts at three different harvest maturities

ISHS V International Symposium on Pomegranate and Minor Mediterranean Fruits Effect of blanching pretreatment on the phytochemical properties, and bioactivities of ‘Herskawitz’ pomegranate peel extracts at three different harvest maturities

Maturity determination of red and white pulp dragon fruit

There is a huge potential for dragon fruits grown in India but insufficient information may hamper its production and postharvest handling. The aim of this study was to investigate the right harvest time and maturity indices for red and white pulp dragon fruit. Growth and developmental studies were undertaken using destructive (total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity and TSS: acid ratio) and non-destructive methods (fruit weight, specific gravity, peel colour and heat units). Fruits were collected at seven intervals (7, 14, 21, 26, 31, 36 and 41 days after flowering) to assess the right maturity. All these methods were used to standardize the optimum maturity and right time for the harvest of red and white pulp dragon fruit. Harvesting dragon fruits between 31-36 days after flowering (DAF) was found ideal for optimum maturity and quality. Both red and white pulp fruits harvested at 31 DAF showed better quality in terms of physic-chemical and sensory attributes.

Maturity indices of specific mango varieties produced at medium altitude agro-ecological zone in Kenya

The high postharvest losses (40 – 50%) reported in the mango value chain are partly attributed to lack of reliable maturity indices. Harvest maturity is dictated by the intended use and the target market for the fruits. The aim of this study was to establish maturity indices of three commercial mango varieties namely ‘Van dyke,’ ‘Kent’ and ‘Tommy Atkins’ in Embu County of Kenya. At least eighteen mango trees (six per variety) were randomly tagged at 50% flowering in each of the three selected small-scale farms in Embu County. Number of days from flowering to different maturity stages were recorded (computational method). For each variety and maturity stage, five fruits were randomly sampled from the pool and analysed for physical (size, density, firmness, colour), physiological (ethylene evolution and respiration rate) and biochemical (obrix/Total Soluble Solids (TSS), total titratable acidity (TTA) and their ratio) indices of maturity. The results showed that although size increased as the fruits developed, it was not a reliable index of maturity since some small-sized fruits attained advanced maturity earlier than others that were large-sized. The weight of the fruits fluctuated as the fruits developed and similar trend was observed on the specific gravity. Flesh firmness decreased gradually with maturity from a mean firmness of 40.54 N to 6.84 N. Tommy Atkins exhibited the lowest firmness levels at stage 4. Kent variety had the lowest ethylene at all stages while Tommy Atkins variety had the highest respiration rate of 21.40 ml/kg/hr at stage 1, which increased gradually to 32.10 ml/kg/hr at stage 4. The highest TSS: TTA values were reported in Kent variety. The results revealed significant differences in maturity indices of the three mango varieties despite similar physical indices. This study confirms the unreliability of physical maturity indices such as size and shape in establishing the right harvest stage of mango fruits. Computational, physiological and biochemical maturity indices should be incorporated in determination of accurate harvest maturity for mango. Key words: Ethylene, Harvest maturity, ‘Kent’, Maturity indices, Respiration, ‘Tommy Atkins’, ‘Van dyke’

Control of Multiple-Herbicide-Resistant Green Pigweed (Amaranthus powellii) With Preemergence and Postemergence Herbicides in Ontario Corn Production

Green pigweed [Amaranthus powellii S.Wats.] is a prolific annual dicot weed that is a prominent weed of crop production in northeastern North America. Green pigweed interference has been documented to reduce corn yields up to 54% in the absence of control strategies. In 2021, a green pigweed biotype from a field near Dresden, Ontario, Canada was determined to be resistant to MCPA, mecoprop, dichlorprop-p, aminocyclopyrachlor (synthetic auxins), and imazethapyr (acetolactate synthase-(ALS)-inhibitor), further impacting control of this weed biotype. Two field studies, with herbicides applied preemergence (PRE) or postemergence (POST), were conducted in 2020 and repeated in 2021. The objective of the research was to determine the most effective PRE and POST herbicides for the control of multiple-herbicide-resistant (MHR) green pigweed in Ontario corn production. 18 PRE and 18 POST herbicide treatments were evaluated in separate studies. Visible crop injury, visible green pigweed control at specified timepoints after herbicide application, green pigweed density, green pigweed biomass, and corn yield at harvest maturity were collected. In the PRE study, rimsulfuron + mesotrione was identified as the most efficacious treatment providing 88% control at 8 WAA. In the POST study, atrazine was identified as the most efficacious treatment providing 94% control at 8 WAA. Control with all PRE herbicide treatments was impacted by rainfall following application. MCPA ester applied POST controlled green pigweed 30% at 8 WAA; reduced control is attributed to herbicide resistance in this biotype. When compared to similar studies, control of green pigweed was reduced with some of the POST herbicides tested. While MHR green pigweed represents an additional challenge for growers, there are efficacious herbicide treatments that would allow it to be managed in corn production.

Fruit quality of ‘Gala’ and ‘Fuji’ apples cultivated under different environmental conditions

This study evaluated the effect of growing site environmental conditions on apple fruit quality. Experimental orchards with ‘Gala’ and ‘Fuji’ apple strains were established in the subtropical humid climate in Southern Brazil, between 26° and 28°S, in the growing sites of São Joaquim, Caçador and Vacaria, located 1415, 960, and 971 m, respectively, above sea level. Fruit quality was assessed at harvest and after storage from the 5th through 8th year after planting. At each growing site, ‘Gala’ apples were harvested at one maturity stage and stored in a controlled atmosphere (CA). ‘Fuji’ apples were harvested at two maturity stages, with early harvested fruit stored in air and late harvested fruit stored in CA. For the São Joaquim site compared with those of Caçador and Vacaria, average temperature during the growing season was lower whereas the number of winter chilling hours and the number of days from bloom to harvest were higher. Fruit weight and red skin area were higher and russeting skin index lower in fruit from the coldest site (São Joaquim) for both cultivars. At harvest, flesh firmness and starch index of fruit from the coldest site were higher or the same as those of the warmest sites (Caçador and Vacaria), depending on cultivar and harvest date. The rate of flesh firmness loss during storage was greater in fruit from the coldest growing site for both cultivars and harvest maturities. Titratable acidity (TA) and soluble solids content (SSC) in fruit from the warmest site were higher or the same as the fruit from the coldest site, depending on when fruit analysis were performed. Although ‘Gala’ apples produced in all three growing sites were equally affected by external fungal decay, fruit from the warmest site had the highest incidence of Glomerella cingulata spot. ‘Fuji’ apples produced in the coldest site had the highest length/diameter ratio and watercore index at harvest and developed more CO2 injury and diffuse flesh browning. External fungal decay index for ‘Fuji’ was the same for the three growing sites for fruit harvested at early maturity, but the decay index was higher for fruit from the warmest site when harvested at an advanced maturity. The study shows the influence of environmental conditions on apple fruit growth and development and the need to adjust production and storage practices to achieve high fruit quality based on pre-harvest environment.

Glufosinate and diquat in pre-harvest desiccation of soybean at four phenological stages, and their impact on seed quality

Glufosinate and diquat may have different levels of efficacy in the pre-harvest desiccation of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) plants, and may affect quality of seeds differently, depending on the phenological stage at which they are applied. The objective of this study was to evaluate desiccation with glufosinate and diquat at the phenological stages R6, R7.1, R7.2, and R7.3, and to examine their effects on yield and quality of soybean seeds. The experiment was conducted at two sites in the state of Paraná (PR), Brazil, in the 2020-2021 crop season. A randomized block design was used, treatment groups consisted of application of glufosinate or diquat at R6, R7.1, R7.2, and R7.3, and the control group (without desiccant application). Defoliation, maturity, moisture, yield, and seed quality (vigor and germination) were evaluated. Glufosinate and diquat were effective at desiccation and had a significant effect on defoliation and maturity, with final values ≥ 98.8% and ≥ 99.3% respectively. Treatments can accelerate harvest maturity by approximately 3 d and earlier applications do not necessarily favor this acceleration, most notably in trial 1. However, desiccation at earlier stages reduced seed yield and negatively affected seed quality, with values of only 61.3% and 71.8% of vigor and germination in some situations. The application of glufosinate or diquat was effective in the pre-harvest desiccation of soybean plants, with no differences between the assessed herbicides or phenological stages. The application of glufosinate starting at R7.2 or diquat at R7.3 is ideal to avoid deleterious effects on seed yield. Applications at earlier stages may lead to losses of more than 30% seed yield. The use of diquat or glufosinate before R7.2 may reduce the quality of seeds.

Effect of harvest maturity stage and ripening remediation agents on the shelf life and biochemical quality attributes of tomato (Solanum lycopersicon) fruits

Tomato fruit is highly perishable because of the characteristic high rate of ethylene production and respiration during ripening. Delayed ripening could be achieved through the use of ripening remediation agents (RRa) that either absorb or block ethylene binding to the fruit receptor. The effects of ripening remediation agents on shelf life and biochemical quality attributes were evaluated on tomato fruits harvested at three maturity stages (breaker, turning and full-ripe). In 2018 and 2019, harvested fruits were stored under seven ripening remediation treatments: 0.1 µL/L 1-MCP, 0.3 µL/L 1-MCP, 0.5 µL/L 1-MCP, 5% KMnO4, 10% KMnO4, 10 g of Zeolite and 20 g of Zeolite and an open shelf condition as the control. At the end of the storage period, fruits were assessed for shelf life as well as total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acids (TA), ascorbic acid, and lycopene contents. There was significant (p≤0.05/0.01) influence of ripening remediation treatments on fruits for all the measured parameters. Fruits stored with RRAs consistently out-performed those stored in the open shelf. RRAs 0.3 µL/L1-MCP, 0.5 µL/L1-MCP and 5% KMnO4 solution media had longer shelf life and higher values of total soluble solids, titratable acidity, lycopene and ascorbic acid contents. The use of 1-MCP and 5% KMnO4 is recommended as effective scavenger of ethylene for extending the shelf-life and maintaining some quality attributes of stored tomato fruits.

Construction of a Chlorophyll Content Prediction Model for Predicting Chlorophyll Content in the Pericarp of Korla Fragrant Pears during the Storage Period

A chlorophyll content prediction model for predicting chlorophyll content in the pericarp of Korla fragrant pears was constructed based on harvest maturity and storage time. This model predicts chlorophyll content in the pericarp of fragrant pears after storage by using the error backpropagation neural network (BPNN), generalized regression neural network (GRNN) and adaptive neural fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). The results demonstrate that chlorophyll content in the pericarp of fragrant pears decreased gradually as the harvest time lengthened. The chlorophyll content in the pericarp of fragrant pears with different maturity levels at harvest decreased continuously with the increase in storage time. According to a comparison of the prediction performances of the BPNN and ANFIS models, it was discovered that the trained GRNN and ANFIS models could predict chlorophyll content in the pericarp of fragrant pears. The ANFIS model showed the best prediction performances when the input membership functions were gasuss2mf (RMSE = 0.006; R2 = 0.993), dsigmf (RMSE = 0.007; R2 = 0.992) and psigmf (RMSE = 0.007; R2 = 0.992). The findings of this study can serve as references for determining the delivery quality and timing of Korla fragrant pears.

Identification of appropriate maturation stages and postharvest treatment for tomato fruits of the "Pearson" variety for local and distant markets

This study was conducted under ambient condition at the research farm of the Agriculture Faculty in Kabul University, Afghanistan. The objectives were to identify suitable harvesting maturity stages for tomato crop that will result in adequate shelf life of tomato fruits for local and distant markets. The results indicated that fruits of the turning color stage treated with 6 % CaCl2 solution had the best quality and highest shelf life (17.5 days) compared to other treatments. Whereas, based on the significant main effect the 15.38 and 14.17 days’ highest shelf life recorded for tomatoes of H1 (turning color stage) and D1 (dipped in 6 % CaCl2 solution) respectively. The TSS (oBrix) and PLW (%) increased till the end of storage life but the tomato fruits’ firmness (g cm-2) decreased. The lowest values noted as 4.79 and 4.74 (oBrix) TSS and 3.31 and 2.93 (%) PLW but the highest tomatoes firmness were 932.50 and 854.17 (g cm-2) recorded all for fruits of H1 (turning color stage) and D1 (dipped in 6 % CaCl2 solution), respectively. In conclusion, the turning color, pink color and light red color stage’s fruits of the Pearson variety are recommended harvesting of fruits of Pearson variety for the distant market, local market, and immediate use, respectively and the 6 % CaCl2 solution could increase shelf life and maintain tomato quality.

A Study on the Phenotypic Variation of 103 Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Landraces for the Development of Desirable Cultivars Suitable for the Changing Climate.

The cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is one of the most important vegetables in Bangladesh as well as across the globe. However, many of the important cucumber landraces have disappeared in Bangladesh due to climate change, particularly erratic rainfall, extreme temperature, salinity, and drought. Therefore, to protect against the extinction of the cucumber landraces, we collected 103 landraces in different geographical regions of Bangladesh, including drought and saline-prone areas, and studied their divergence for the future breeding programme for the development of cultivars suitable for the climate-changing situations. Data on morphological features, yield, and its components, which include 17 qualitative and quantitative traits, were recorded during the observation. Among the cucumber landraces, the Shannon–Weaver diversity index analysis revealed the presence of genetic diversity in these landraces. The biggest diversity appeared in the fruit-related characteristics, i.e., stem end fruit shape, bottom end fruit shape, fruit shape, and fruit skin colour at the table and harvest maturity. The descriptive statistics and analysis of variance expressed a wide range of variability for quantitative traits. A broad phenotypic variation was also observed for traits such as yield plant−1 [CV (%) 31.88, ranges 0.96 to 3.11 kg] and fruits plant−1 (CV (%), 28.71, ranges, 2.58 to 9.75). High heritability (broad sense) coupled with a high genetic gain was observed for yield and yield-contributing characteristics, indicating that these characteristics are controlled by additive gene effects, and they are more reliable for effective selection. The phenotypic correlation studies showed that fruit yield plant−1 exhibited a positive and significant correlation with fruits plant−1, fruit length, fruit weight, fruit width, branches plant−1, and plant height. All landraces were grouped into six clusters, and the maximum number of landraces were accommodated in cluster VI (30), followed by cluster V (22), cluster III (22), cluster IV (14), cluster I (13), and cluster II (2). Comparing cluster means with studied traits revealed that cluster III with landraces AC-14, AC-97, AC-471, AC-451, and RAI-209 were more divergent for improving average fruit weight, fruit length, and fruit width. On the other hand, cluster IV with landraces AC-201, TT-161, RAI- 217, RAI-215, and TRMR-103 were more divergent for improving average vine length, internode length, and the number of primary branches plant−1, the number of fruits plant−1, and yield plant−1. According to the MGIDI index, AC-14 (G1), AC-201 (G7), AC-471 (G24), AC-97 (G30), RAI-215 (G68) and TT-161 (G 94) may be considered to be the best parents based on their qualitative and quantitative characteristics for the future breeding programme. Moreover, crossing between the landraces, which were collected from saline and drought areas, in clusters I, V, and VI with those in other clusters could produce suitable cucumber varieties for the climatic changing situation.

Effects of Harvest Maturity on the Fruit Quality of Different Flesh-Type Peach Stored at Near-Freezing Point Temperature.

To investigate the peach fruit flesh types (soft-melting, hard-melting, stonyhard and non-melting) and harvest maturity level suitable for near-freezing temperature storage (NFTS), eight peach cultivars that had four flesh types were used as test materials. Changes in fruit respiration intensity and ethylene release rates, as well as the differences in quality indexes, such as soluble solids content (SSC), firmness, color difference, pigment content, soluble sugar and organic acid component content, of three fruit maturity levels (70%, 80% and 90% maturity) under NFTS conditions were analyzed and compared. The fruit quality indexes of peach having different maturity levels and flesh types changed little during NFTS. The SSC and total sugar content of hard-melting and stonyhard peach fruit were higher than those of other flesh types during NFTS. Those fruit maintained greater firmness at the end of the storage period. The differences in respiration intensity and ethylene release rate were small, but for fruit coloring, hard-melting fruit performed better than stonyhard fruit. The 80%, compared with the 90%, maturity stage maintained more fruit moisture, had less fruit mass loss and maintained a greater edible firmness. It effectively impeded the fruit senescence process and was the most suitable maturity for NFTS. Thus, the hard-melting peach maintained the highest commercial value and desirable storage characteristics under NFTS conditions, and its 80% maturity level was the most suitable for NFTS.

Romanian wild cherry genotypes (Prunus avium var. sylvestris Ser.) suitable for processing

This paper presents the important features of indigenous wild cherry genotypes suitable for processing. The research took place between 2017–2020, having ten Romanian wild cherry genotypes as study material. The harvesting maturity was recorded in the first decade of June for the early cultivar (G10) and decades two and three of June for the other studied genotypes, all of them with a middle season maturation. The number of days between the end of the flowering and the maturation was between 54 days (G10) and 66 days (G9). The average weight of the fruit and the equatorial diameter varied between 2.1 g and 13.80 mm for G4, respectively, and 5.5 g and 21.35 mm for G10. The proportion (%) between the pulp and waste (stone and peduncle) was measured as 81.95% pulp (G4) and 93.64% pulp (G10). The values of the soluble dry substance content were between 13.1–24.0 °Brix, the titratable acidity was between 0.48–1.16 mg malic acid/100 mL juice and the total content of the polyphenols was between 229.00–720.00 mg GAE/100 mL fresh juice. In terms of the bitter taste intensity, G10 has a weak intensity, G3, G7, G8 and G9 have an average intensity and G1, G3, G4, G5 and G6 have a high intensity.