Harvest Maturity Research Articles

Impact of harvest maturity and storage conditions on tomato quality: A comprehensive experimental and modeling study

The study was applied to fresh tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum, Marbone variety). First, a field survey was conducted to obtain statistical data on the temperature and duration (minimum, mode, maximum) at different stages in the supply chain. Then, the physicochemical, phytochemical and volatile compounds were measured at harvest and on five different days (3, 7, 11, 14 and 21 days) for two maturity stages at harvest (green-orange and light red) and under three storage temperatures (3 °C, 8 °C and 15 °C). These data were used to evaluate the combined impact of harvest maturity, time and storage temperature on the evolution of the different compounds. From the same data, quality models were developed based on the Arrhenius equation to describe the tomato quality evolution under different storage temperatures for (Z)-3 hexenal, total sum of acids, lycopene and chlorogenic acid. These compounds were chosen because of their relation to commercial and nutritional qualities. The model results were validated using additional data from a different study conducted on one constant temperature profile and two dynamic time-temperature profiles as in a supply chain. Finally, data from the field survey and the quality models were combined in a Monte Carlo process (105 product items) to simulate the variability of time-temperature profiles from the grower to the sales outlet and its impact on the quality attributes. For two maturity stages at harvest, the impact of the supply chain on the quality attributes of tomatoes at the sales outlet was also analyzed. Simulation results show that the maturity stage at harvest significantly impacts the final lycopene content and the total sum of acids in tomatoes at the sales outlet, with fruit harvested at the light red stage containing higher lycopene levels (and a lower hue angle) and a lower total sum of acids in comparison with fruit harvested at the green-orange stage. However, at the sales outlet, the concentrations of chlorogenic acid and (Z)-3-hexenal in fruit harvested at the green-orange and light red stages are similar. This information would be useful for fruit and vegetable stakeholders for time-temperature management of tomato fruit throughout the supply chain in order to optimally preserve the main quality attributes.

Role of Chitosan in the Coloring of Berries and Phytochemical Changes in Physalis angulata L. During Harvest Maturity

Physalis angulata L. berries are green in the initial stage of maturity and turn yellow when fully mature due to an increase in carotenoids. However, the coloration of the epidermis of the berry should not be the reference for harvesting maturity, since the calyx is fully closed. The use of an edible chitosan coating delays the color changes in the berry by reducing the respiration rate. This work studies the effect of harvest maturity and chitosan on the shelf life and berry coloring in Physalis angulata L. Three factors were considered, being harvest maturity stage (green mature (GM), yellowish-green (YG) and yellow (Y)), chitosan coating (0, 0.5, and 1%), and storage time (10, 20, 30 days). The fruits were stored at 20 °C and 85% Rh. The results showed that on the harvesting stage, chitosan coating had a significant effect on the quality and shelf life of berries during storage time. The value of carotenoid and phenol contents, flavor index, chroma, and hue significantly increased with berry maturity. Chitosan delayed the decrease in chlorophyll, phenol contents, antioxidant capacity, berry maturity, and color change. The results show that in the berries coated with 1% chitosan during storage, changes in color were less in comparison with the control condition (no chitosan). The highest decrease of hue angle and color index (17.92°) was observed in the control. The highest total antioxidant (78.42%) was observed after 30 days of storage in MG berries treated with a 0.5% chitosan coating.

The effect of composite edible coatings on the postharvest quality of “Hass” avocado fruit treated at different harvest maturities

Edible coatings play a critical role in reducing postharvest losses during storage and supply chain of horticultural commodities. The present study evaluated the efficacy of different concentrations of moringa leaf extract (MLE) combined with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) edible coating in preserving the quality and extending the shelf life of “Hass” avocado. Fruit were harvested at different stages of maturity and evaluated by dry matter content. Different concentrations of moringa (8 and 16%) extracted with chilled ethanol (100%) and functionalized with CMC (5%), were used to treat the fruit. Treated fruit were then stored at 5.5 ± 1°C and 90 ± 5% RH for 28 days plus an additional 7 days at 23°C. The changes in physicochemical and biochemical fruit attributes were evaluated at weekly intervals. The application of moringa and CMC-based edible coatings preserved the phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity of “Hass” avocado. The treatments significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the loss of weight and firmness. Furthermore, treated fruits were found to have a delayed color change and reduction in sugar concentration, particularly mannoheptulose, compared to the control treatment. Therefore, edible coatings prepared by combining CMC and MLE could be the best alternative for substituting the currently used health-compromising synthetic chemicals.

Agronomic and Starch Content Studies of Local Adlay Accessions (Coix lacrima jobi - L.) from West Sumatra, Indonesia

Indonesia has a high potential for diverse local food resources, one of which is the plant of adlay. Exploration activities aimed at collecting genetic resources of adlay have been successfully carried out in the province of West Sumatra, Indonesia, resulting in the collection of six local genotypes. The purpose of this research is to obtain information about the agronomic potential and starch content of several local adlay accessions. The study was conducted from April to September 2023 in Limau Manis, Padang City, West Sumatra. The six adlay accessions used in the study are PTA-1, KKD-3, PH-4, BTA-2, GT-2, and TJR-2. The experimental design employed was a completely randomized design with three replications. Based on the research findings, significant differences were observed in both agronomic aspects and starch content among the tested accessions. Adlay with the accession code PH-4 exhibited advantages in terms of harvest maturity and production. The starch content of adlay ranged from 56.64% to 61.26%, with the PH-4 accession having the highest amylopectin content (96.60%), while the highest amylose content was found in the GT-2, TJR-2, and KKD-3 accession (19.90%, 20.03%, and 20.48%). Accession PH-4 can be proposed as a candidate for Adlay variety assembly. Keywords: agronomic, starch content, adlay accessions, Coix lacrima jobi

Detection, Counting, and Maturity Assessment of Blueberries in Canopy Images using YOLOv8 and YOLOv9

Blueberry growers currently rely on manual or subjective approaches to harvest decision-making and yield estimation. Canopy image-based, pre-harvest blueberry detection provides a promising means for automated harvest maturity assessment, fruit counting, and yield estimation to optimize crop management and reduce labor costs. Data-driven deep-learning-based object detectors, especially the YOLO (You Only Look Once) series models, have emerged as a powerful tool for a diversity of computer vision tasks in agriculture. However, the detection of such small, densely populated objects as blueberries in unstructured scenes can pose great challenges, especially given the lack of dedicated datasets for model development. This study, therefore, presents the first publicly available dataset of blueberry canopy images with 17,955 ripe and unripe blueberries, which were captured in diverse orchard conditions, and performance evaluation of YOLOv8l (large) and YOLOv9-c (compact) with comparable complexity for blueberry detection and whereby fruit counting and ripe fruit percentage estimation. At the input image resolution of 2560 × 2560 pixels, both models performed similarly in terms of detection accuracy with around 91% mAP@50, except that YOLOv9-c was far more time-consuming to train. Trained with the input of higher resolution images of 3520 × 3520 pixels, YOLOv8l achieved an overall mAP@50 of nearly 93%, and an RMSEs (root-mean-square errors) of 10.4 in fruit counting and 3.62% in estimating the percentage of ripe fruit of each image. Both the dataset and software programs11https://github.com/vicdxxx/BlueberryDetectionAndCounting of this study have been or will be made publicly available, which are expected to be useful for promoting greater community efforts for further algorithm development.

Effect of Harvest Maturity and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Inoculant on Dynamics of Fermentation Characteristics and Bacterial and Fungal Community of Triticale Silage

(1) Background: Suitable harvest maturity stage selection and microbial inoculation during anaerobic fermentation are effective strategies for improving the quality of triticale (×Triticosecale) silage for ruminant nutrition. (2) Methods: In the present study, the fermentation characteristics, microbial communities, and their correlations were evaluated for triticale silages, as affected by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LP) inoculation at the heading, flowering, filling, milk-ripening, and wax-ripening stages. (3) Results: The results indicate that the filling and milk-ripening stages without LP inoculation resulted in lower pH and higher lactic acid than other harvest maturity stages (p < 0.05). Inoculating with LP decreased the pH at each harvest maturity stage, except for the filling stage, and increased the lactic acid concentration at the heading and filling stages (p < 0.05). The bacterial dynamics indicated that the abundances of Lactiplantebacilli and Monascus of the triticale silages without the LP inoculation were different between the harvest maturity stages (p < 0.05), and the abundance of Enterobacters was different between the harvest maturity stages in the triticale silage (p < 0.05). Remarkably, negative correlations were found between the Lactiplantebacillus, Monascus, and pH and positive correlations were found between the Lactiplantebacillus, Monascus, and lactic acid content (p < 0.05). (4) Conclusions: The filling and milk-ripening stages were the most suitable harvest maturity stages for the triticale silage. Inoculation with LP could enhance the fermentation quality, increase the abundances of beneficial microorganisms, and inhibit harmful microorganisms in triticale silage.

Non-destructive estimation of flesh oil content in avocado (Persea americana Mill.) using fluorescence images from 365-nm UV light excitation.

The flesh oil content (OC) is a crucial commercial indicator of avocado maturity and directly correlates with its nutritional quality. To meet export standards and optimize edible characteristics, avocados must be harvested at the appropriate stage of physiological maturity. The significant variability in OC during maturation, without any external morphological indicators, poses a longstanding challenge. Currently, harvesting maturity is optimized through time-consuming, destructive laboratory methods like freeze-drying and chemical extraction, which use representative samples to estimate the maturity of entire orchards. In this study, for the first time, we employed fluorescence imaging of avocado skin using 365-nm UV polarized light excitation to estimate the OC in the 'Bacon' avocado cultivar. We developed a surface fluorescence index that strongly correlates with OC, achieving correlation coefficients up to -0.91. Our non-destructive and rapid approach achieved a cross-validation accuracy with an R2 value of 0.81, enabling the classification of avocados with low and high OC. This pioneering method shows considerable potential for further improvement and refinement. This study lays the groundwork for developing a portable, cost-effective, and real-time method for non-destructive in situ monitoring of avocado OC in the field and its integration into large-scale post-harvest grading systems.

Precision harvesting technology of flue-cured tobacco based on SPAD value

The correct control of the maturity of flue-cured tobacco leaves is an important guarantee for improving the intrinsic quality of tobacco leaves, and it is also the premise for ensuring and improving the quality and external quality of cured tobacco leaves. In order to quantify the maturity of flue-cured tobacco, the chlorophyll meter was used to measure the leaves with different harvesting maturity levels of the middle and upper leaves, and the correlation between the measured value of chlorophyll meter (SPAD) and chlorophyll, yield and output value was established, and the precise harvesting technology of fixed leaf position was verified. The results showed that the SPAD values of the 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th leaves had a linear relationship with the chlorophyll content, reaching a significant level, and the SPAD values of the four leaf positions showed a quadratic curve relationship with the yield quality of the cured tobacco leaves, and the SPAD threshold when the yield quality was optimal was obtained through the regression equation, combined with the measured SPAD values of each leaf position, the prediction interval of the SPAD values of the four leaf positions was as follows: 3rd leaves (10.9, 15.0), 6th leaves (13.7, 17.3), 9th leaves ( 16.9, 20.6), 12th leaves (20.7, 24.0), the tobacco leaves harvested at this time are 8~10 mature, the maturity is good, the yield quality of tobacco leaves is high, and the maturity grade of the middle and upper leaves is higher.

Using harvest maturity and accumulated cold units predicts postharvest chilling requirement for ripening capacity and buttery-juicy melting texture duration in European pears

Using harvest maturity and accumulated cold units predicts postharvest chilling requirement for ripening capacity and buttery-juicy melting texture duration in European pears

How important is Forest Age in explaining the species composition of Near-natural Spruce Forests?

Multiple ecological drivers, along with forest age, determine the species composition of boreal forest ecosystems. However, the role of age in successional changes in forests cannot be understood without taking site conditions, the disturbance regime and forest structure into account. In this study, we ask two research questions: 1. What is the relationship between forest age and overall species composition in older near-natural spruce forests, i.e. forests of age beyond harvest maturity? 2. Do species associated with different forest habitats respond similarly to variation in forest age? Data were collected in 257 Norway spruce dominated 0.25 ha plots from three study areas in Southeastern and Central Norway. Species inventories were conducted for lichens and bryophytes on trees and rocks, vascular plants on the forest floor, and for deadwood-associated bryophytes and polypore fungi. Although NMDS ordination analyses of the total species composition identified a main axis related to the age of the oldest trees in two of the study areas, variation partitioning analyses showed that age explained a small fraction of variation of the species composition compared to site conditions, logging history, forest structure, and differences between the sites in all habitats. The unique variation explained by forest age species was, however, significant for all habitats. The fraction of variation in species composition explained by forest age was the largest for lichens and bryophytes on trees, and for deadwood-associated bryophytes and polypore fungi. Our results suggest that practical mapping of near-natural forests for management purposes inventories should include site conditions, forest structure and between site differences in addition to forest age.

Preharvest 1-Methylcyclopropene Effects on Fruit Quality and Harvest Maturity of ‘Pink Lady’ Apples

Preharvest 1-Methylcyclopropene Effects on Fruit Quality and Harvest Maturity of ‘Pink Lady’ Apples

Physicochemical Characterization and Nutrient Composition Decide Harvest Maturity of Cucumis melo Varieties

Cucumis melo is a polymorphic taxon belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae, with several varieties based on ovary pubescence. Cucumis melo var. momordica and Cucumis melo var. acidulus are popularized and highly cultivated forms in South India. The characteristic of C.melo var.momordica is its fruit-cracking nature, which distinguishes the variety from others when it is ready to harvest. So, it would be a herculean task for the farmers to harvest ripened fruits before it gets cracked. Analysis of the ripening process's physicochemical attributes and nutritional composition is inevitable to understand and establish proper harvest management for the varieties. The current study was conducted in the experimental field of the Department of Botany, University of Kerala using two different melon varieties, Cucumis melo var. momordica (Roxb.) Duthie & Fuller (Snap melon) and Cucumis melo var. acidulus L. Naudin (culinary melon), from January to October 2021. Fruits were harvested at five developmental stages (S1: 5 days after pollination (DAP), S2: 10 DAP, S3:15 DAP, S4: 20 DAP, S5: 25 DAP) and analysed for physical and biochemical characters. Results were analyzed statistically by using one way ANOVA (P≤0.05). Pomological characteristics such as fruit weight and length at different developmental stages showed a tremendous peak from S3 to S5 in both varieties. However, the firmness of the fruits decreased from the S4 to S5 stage in varieties, reducing sugar accumulated sharply from the S2 to S3 stage. Titratable acidity content in Cucumis melo fruits continuously increased from the S1 to S5 stage. On the other hand, the total carbohydrate, cellulose, protein, and amino acid content increased from S1 to S2 but decreased sharply in S3 and S5. Ascorbic acid, total phenolics, lipid peroxidation, and electrolyte leakage levels declined with fruit ripening in Cucumis melo varieties. As a result of all the quality parameters mentioned above, Cucumis melo fruit harvested at the S4 maturity stage was the ideal harvest maturity for long-distance transportation and had higher consumer acceptability before fruit cracking. Our findings showed that the physical-biochemical properties and nutritional composition of Cucumis melo varieties change dynamically during ripening. The study highlighted the significance of maturity stages for fruit quality and provided critical information for optimal harvest management of the fruits of Cucumis melo varieties.

Impact of Fruit Maturity on Internal Disorders in Vapor Heat Treated Mango Cv. ‘B74’

UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12) aims to reduce food losses in production and postharvest stages within supply chains. Identifying and addressing contributors to such losses is crucial to their reduction and to overall supply chain sustainability. Internal disorders (IDs) often contribute to postharvest losses and waste of highly perishable fruits like mangoes. Understanding and addressing influencers of susceptibility is limited but essential. Factors potentially associated with the expression of IDs in ‘B74’ mango commercial supply chains were investigated. Over three fruiting seasons (2020/21, 2021/22, and 2022/23), 43 export supply chains in Australia were monitored from two major production regions, the Northern Territory and North Queensland. Prior to export, the mangoes were subject to a mandatory phytosanitary vapor heat treatment (VHT) in which they were heated with saturated water vapor to a core temperature 46 °C maintained for 15 min and were then assessed for IDs at the end of their shelf life. The predominant IDs observed in the ‘B74’ fruit were flesh cavity with white patches (FCWP) and flesh browning (FB). VHT-induced FCWP, but not FB. Harvest maturity was identified as a predisposing factor. FB was generally positively correlated and FCWP was typically negatively correlated with fruit maturity at harvest. Relatively more-mature fruit was prone to FB irrespective of VHT, and relatively less-mature fruit was susceptible to FCWP post-VHT. Therefore, selective harvesting and/or sorting for optimum maturity after harvest can be practiced minimizing the incidence and severity of these two IDs in ‘B74’ fruit. Thus, dry matter (DM) sorting can contribute to postharvest loss reduction and the general sustainability of mango supply chains.

Comparative study of mango cultivars at the ready-to-eat stage: The case of Western Crete, Greece, a cool subtropic region of the Mediterranean

With the expansion of the mango consumer market, exports of the product have increased. The harvest time effects quality characteristics, which identify the quality and consequently the price of the product. Greece is very close to the European markets, so mango fruits can be transferred at a ready-to-eat stage and minimize the distance between harvest maturity and edibility. On this research we studied the characteristics of twelve mango cultivars (‘Carrie’, ‘Keitt’, ‘Kensington’, ‘Kent’, ‘Lippens’, ‘Osteen’, ‘Palmer’, ‘Sabre’, ‘Sensation’, ‘Tommy Atkins’, ‘Van Dyke’ and ‘Zill’) in Greece. The parameters measured were the harvest time, fruit weight and size, fruit firmness, juice pH, soluble solid components, dry matter, ascorbic acid, total sugars and acidity. The first fruits were harvested ready-to-eat, at the first days of August. Fruit firmness was from 4.28 K/cm2 (‘Sensation’), to 1.55 (‘Lippens’). The pH level ranged from 3.64 (‘Van Dyke’) to 4.52 (‘Osteen’). Total soluble solids were 19.84% Brix in ‘Kent’, different from ‘Osteen’ (16.33%). ‘Kent’ had the highest dry matter concentration (25.3%). The higher amount of ascorbic acid (Vit C) was measured in ‘Palmer’ (82.79 mg/100 g juice). Total sugar was the highest in ‘Tommy Atkins’ (24.82 g glucose/100 g juice) and the lowest in ‘Palmer’ (6.51 g glucose/100 g juice). The lowest acidity was observed in ‘Lippens’ (0.16%). Our results indicate that Greece can offer fruit production of high quality, at the ready-to-eat stage. Our results are the first data of mango cultivation in Greece, a region of Europe where mango crop is gaining ground on the market.

Antioxidative enzymes, phytochemicals and proximate components in jujube fruit (Ziziphus mauritiana L.) with respect to genotypes and harvest maturity

Jujube is an underutilized fruit having high maturity variation at harvest. Investigations were made on eight different cultivars of jujube (Umran, Karela, Gurrh, Amrodia, Mehmood Wali, Aakash, Foladi and Khubani) for changes in antioxidative enzymatic activities, phytochemical functions and proximate composition with respect to different harvest maturity stages (M1: mature green, M2: yellow and M3: crispy brown) under postharvest ambient conditions (25 ± 2 °C; 60 %–65 % RH) at three shelf intervals (1, 3 and 5 d). Significant genotypic and maturity related variation was recorded regarding studied attributes. The fruit of cv. ʽKhubaniʼ had better attributes among the cultivars evaluated. The crispy brown jujube fruit had higher peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activity and more protein, total soluble solids (TSS), ash, crude fat and fiber than early mature stages. Over time, the ascorbic acid (vitamin C), titratable acidity (TA), total phenolic (TPC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), crude protein, crude fiber, moisture, crude fat and activity of antioxidative enzymes [CAT and superoxide dismutase (SOD)] exhibited a significant decline; while increase was recorded in TSS, pH and POD activity. Overall, this work identified that jujube's antioxidative, biochemical and proximate properties are significantly influenced by cultivar, fruit harvest maturity and duration of postharvest handling under ambient shelf.

Effect of system, grafting, and harvest maturity stage on the quality of tomatoes grown in greenhouses

Effect of system, grafting, and harvest maturity stage on the quality of tomatoes grown in greenhouses

Delayed Luminescence in Monitoring the Postharvest Ripening of Tomato Fruit and Classifying According to Their Maturity Stage at Harvest

Ripening is an irreversible phenomenon involving several physiological, biochemical and organoleptic changes that affect the nutritional value, colour, texture and taste of fruit. Amongst the physical non-destructive technologies, Delayed Luminescence (DL) has been reported able to provide valid information on the functional status of living biological systems, reflecting changes in quality parameters following the occurrence of certain metabolic processes. In this study, we followed up and analysed the variations in the colour and DL signals emitted by tomato fruit as a function of their ripening degree. Four lots of tomato fruit, similar to each other for cultivar and geographical origin, were considered. Tomatoes were harvested at various maturity stages and stored in the dark at room temperature. The changes in DL emission trends were monitored at different times after harvesting for a period of about 20 days and correlated with the a*/b* colour ratio, which is normally used as an indicator of fruit ripeness degree. Results highlighted that the emission intensities, as well as the parameters by fitting DL decay curves, were strongly dependent on harvest maturity, varying significantly even as fruit ripeness progressed after their harvesting. Significant differences were also found between DL signals emitted by field-ripened tomatoes at the beginning of storage and those emitted by postharvest-ripened tomatoes at the end of the storage period. Delayed Luminescence may be used as a fast, reliable and sensitive tool for evaluating, more generally, the sensorial quality of fruit during postharvest storage.

Evaluation of Agronomic and Oil Characteristics of Selected Turkish Poppy Genotypes under Ankara’s Climate Conditions

Poppy is a minor agronomic field crop that is cultivated under a UN license. It is known for its alkaloids and seeds, and, rarely, for the latter’s use in ethnomedicine. Changing climate conditions could lead to the need for alternate areas for poppy cultivation in Türkiye. This experiment was conducted in Ankara, which is not a poppy production area. The morphological characteristics and oil characteristics of 19 Turkish poppy genotypes were determined over two years. According to the results, the emergence time was between 10 and 22 days, the flowering time ranged from 197 to 214 days, while the harvest maturation time was between 250 and 269 days. The plant height varied from 75.8 to 97.5 cm, the weight of 1000 seeds ranged from 305.0 to 428.0 mg, and the weight of the seeds per plant was between 2.95 and 5.78 g. Furthermore, the yield ranged from 100.7 to 202.3 kg da−1, the fat content was between 38.8 and 44.1%, and the protein content ranged from 15.9 to 18.4%. The linoleic acid content ranged from 66.77% to 75.60%, the oleic acid content ranged from 10.78% to 19.46%, and the palmitic acid content ranged from 8.38% to 9.90%. The highest yield in Ankara was obtained from the Çelikoğlu cultivar.

Sulfur dioxide generating pads containing different concentrations of sodium metabisulfite maintains postharvest quality of ‘Hicaznar’ pomegranate

This study investigated the effects of different sulfur dioxide (SO2) generating pads containing different concentrations of sodium metabisulfite (Na2S2O5) on the storage of ‘Hicaznar’ pomegranate fruit. For this purpose, the pomegranates were harvested at optimal harvest maturity (total soluble solids (TSS): 17.70 %, titratable acidity (TA): 1.57 % citric acid). The first, second and third groups were treated with SO2 generating pads containing different concentrations of Na2S2O5 (1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 g). The fourth group was control which received no treatment. The SO2 generating pads were placed on top of the fruit with butter paper containing holes were kept between the fruit and pads. All the treatments were packaged under modified atmosphere packages (MAP) and stored at 6 °C and 90–95 % relative humidity (RH). The fruit samples for quality analysis were taken at 45, 90, 120, 150 and 180 days (d) of cold storage (CS). Post removal, the samples from each treatment were kept at 20 °C for additional 3 d to determine shelf life (SL) performance of fruit. Extending storage duration showed increase in weight loss, h° values, total flavonoid content, carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and decay index while decrease in L*, C* values, appearance and taste scores, TSS content, TA, total phenolic content, total antioxidant activity, total anthocyanin, ascorbic acid, organic acids (citric, malic, succinic and oxalic acids) contents, phenolic compounds (gallic, protocatechuic and chlorogenic acid), oxygen (O2) levels and SO2 production in MAP. SO2 generating pads reduced weight loss and decay index. The highest taste value was recorded in 3.0 g SO2 generating pads. The highest h° value was in 1.5 g SO2 generating pads while the greatest total anthocyanin content in CS was in 3.0 and 4.5 g with maximum total anthocyanin content in SL was recorded in 1.5 and 4.5 g SO2 generating pads. SO2 generating pads exhibited maximum total phenolic content, total antioxidant activity and gallic acid content as compared to control. There were no SO2 residues in pomegranate arils throughout the storage. It can be concluded that SO2 generating pads can be a potential tool to preserve the postharvest quality of ‘Hicaznar’ pomegranate for 180 d of CS.

Registration of indeterminate and photoperiod‐insensitive IIPG‐7 and IIPG‐11 pigeonpea germplasm

AbstractPigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Mill.] breeding lines (BL) IIPG‐7 (Reg. no. GP‐326, PI 704909) and IIPG‐11 (Reg. no. GP‐327, PI 704910) were developed at the University of Puerto Rico. Both BL were bred to have indeterminate flowering habit and photoperiod insensitivity. The agronomic performance of IIPG‐7, IIPG‐11, and checks was tested during different growing seasons in Isabela and Lajas, Puerto Rico. IIPG‐7 and IIPG‐11 were early maturing and initiated flowering at 73–84 days after planting (DAP), reaching harvest maturity at 121–127 DAP. This was in comparison to indeterminate cultivars ‘Ariel’, ‘Blanco Yauco’, ‘Kaki’, ‘Pinto Berrocales’, and ‘Super Pinto’, which initiated flowering at 91–102 DAP, reaching maturity at 138–148 DAP in short‐day conditions that occurred in October in both locations. These cultivars had seed yield values of over 1000 kg ha−1, whereas IIPG‐7 and IIPG‐11 produced 721–1010 kg ha−1. In contrast, IIPG‐7 and IIPG‐11 were the only indeterminate genotypes that initiated flowering at 42–88 DAP and reached maturity at 88–172 DAP under long‐day conditions (February, March, and May) in both locations. Seed yields of IIPG‐7 and IIPG‐11 varied from 626 to 2449 kg ha−1 in Isabela and were close to 2000 kg ha−1 in Lajas. IIPG‐7 has tan seed with reddish spots; IIPG‐11 has reddish seed with an average weight of 14 and 15 g per 100 seeds, respectively. The IIPG‐7 and IIPG‐11 BL can be used directly by growers or breeders to develop pigeonpea cultivars that can be planted year‐round.