Improve Fruit Production Research Articles

Navigating the Landscape of Precision Horticulture: Sustainable Agriculture in the Digital Age

Automation, autonomy, and precision play vital roles in modern technology and procedures, especially in response to the rising global population and the need for improved fruit production technologies. The quality criteria for fruit yield are becoming increasingly complex, necessitating fundamental upgrades. Sensor-based technologies pave the way for more rational and efficient soil usage. Precision farming, an advanced agricultural approach, employs software technologies and principles to optimize various aspects of horticultural production. Its goal is to enhance crop yields and promote environmental sustainability by managing spatial and temporal variations. Precision horticulture, a cutting-edge farming method, focuses on increasing crop yields and quality while minimizing environmental impact. This approach leverages advanced technology and data-driven decision-making. By utilizing sensors, robots, drones, and other innovative tools for yield mapping, irrigation control, robotic harvesting, nutrient and pesticide application, soil sensing, and crop growth analysis, growers can monitor plant growth and health, identify potential issues, and make informed crop management decisions. Tailoring practices to specific plant needs can lead to higher yields, improved product quality, and reduced environmental impact. Overall, precision horticulture holds significant promise for promoting sustainable agricultural practices while meeting the increasing demand for food production.

Differential response of roots and leaves to combined heat and salinity stresses in tomato plants

Despite our understanding of plant responses to single stresses, knowledge on how plants respond to combined abiotic factors and the underlying hormonal regulation is still very limited. Here, we aimed to examine the plant response to combined heat and salt stresses in tomato plants, the underlying hormonal response and the effectiveness of methyl jasmonate application in its alleviation. We measured fruit production and various stress markers in both roots and leaves, together with endogenous contents of stress-related phytohormones (including abscisic acid, salicylic acid and jasmonates) in tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Micro-Tom), exposed to combined stress. In addition, we evaluated the effectiveness of a methyl jasmonate treatment as a priming agent to alleviate the negative effects of stress, with an emphasis on evaluating the effects of this hormone on triggering antioxidant protection by enhancement of vitamin E contents. Plants responded differently to combined stress treatment than to single stresses, but this differential response was organ-specific, with roots being more sensitive to stress than leaves. Both abscisic acid and jasmonates were involved in the plant response to combined stress but leaves and roots responded differently. Furthermore, abscisic acid and jasmonates correlated with vitamin E accumulation, most particularly in roots. Foliar application of methyl jasmonate at the flowering stage in plants challenged with combined stress did not improve fruit production but resulted in enhanced vitamin E accumulation in leaves. It is concluded that (i) roots and leaves show a differential sensitivity to both single and combined heat and salt stresses, (ii) the response of abscisic acid and jasmonates in plant stress responses seems to be markedly organ dependent, and (iii) foliar methyl jasmonate increased vitamin E accumulation under combined stress in tomato plants.

Partial diallel in Physalis ixocarpa Brot. to improve fruit production

Partial diallel in Physalis ixocarpa Brot. to improve fruit production

Comparative morpho-physiological and biochemical responses of Capsicum annuum L. plants to multi-walled carbon nanotubes, fullerene C60 and graphene nanoplatelets exposure under water deficit stress

Water deficit stress is one of the most significant environmental abiotic factors influencing plant growth and metabolism globally. Recently, encouraging outcomes for the use of nanomaterials in agriculture have been shown to reduce the adverse effects of drought stress on plants. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of various carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) on the physiological, morphological, and biochemical characteristics of bell pepper plants subjected to water deficit stress conditions. The study was carried out as a factorial experiment using a completely randomized design (CRD) in three replications with a combination of three factors. The first factor considered was irrigation intensity with three levels [(50%, 75%, and 100% (control) of the field capacity (FC)] moisture. The second factor was the use of carbon nanomaterials [(fullerene C60, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs)] at various concentrations [(control (0), 100, 200, and 1000 mg/L)]. The study confirmed the foliar uptake of CNMs using the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) technique. The effects of the CNMs were observed in a dose-dependent manner, with both stimulatory and toxicity effects being observed. The results revealed that exposure to MWNTs (1000 mg/L) under well-watered irrigation, and GNPs treatment (1000 mg/L) under severe drought stress (50% FC) significantly (P < 0.01) improved fruit production and fruit dry weight by 76.2 and 73.2% as compared to the control, respectively. Also, a significant decrease (65.9%) in leaf relative water content was obtained in plants subjected to soil moisture of 50% FC over the control. Treatment with GNPs at 1000 mg/L under 50% FC increased electrolyte leakage index (83.6%) compared to control. Foliar applied MWNTs enhanced the leaf gas exchange, photosynthesis rate, and chlorophyll a and b concentrations, though decreased the oxidative shock in leaves which was demonstrated by the diminished electrolyte leakage index and upgrade in relative water content and antioxidant capacity compared to the control. Plants exposed to fullerene C60 at 100 and 1000 mg/L under soil moisture of 100 and 75% FC significantly increased total flavonoids and phenols content by 63.1 and 90.9%, respectively, as compared to the control. A significant increase (184.3%) in antioxidant activity (FRAP) was observed in plants exposed to 200 mg/L MWCNTs under irrigation of 75% FC relative to the control. The outcomes proposed that CNMs could differentially improve the plant and fruit characteristics of bell pepper under dry conditions, however, the levels of changes varied among CNMs concentrations. Therefore, both stimulatory and toxicity effects of employed CNMs were observed in a dose-dependent manner. The study concludes that the use of appropriate (type/dose) CNMs through foliar application is a practical tool for controlling the water shortage stress in bell pepper. These findings will provide the basis for more research on CNMs-plant interactions, and with help to ensure their safe and sustainable use within the agricultural chains.

Application of exogenous compounds increased the tolerance to aluminum toxicity and improved fruit production of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) grown on Ultisols

The low productivity of oil palm grown on suboptimal land Ultisols with high Al saturation requires efforts to improve cultivation techniques in order to increase plant tolerance to Al stress and to improve fruit production. This study aimed to determine the effect of various exogenous compounds on physiological changes and fruit production of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) grown on Ultisols with high Al saturation. This study consisted of 2 treatments, namely: (1) a combination of various exogenous compounds, and (2) application methods. The experiment was arranged in RCBD split plots with 3 replications. Treatment of exogenous compounds was (1) control (untreated); (2) CaCl2 50 ppm; (3) CaCl2 50 ppm + Salicylic acid 50 ppm; (4) CaCl2 50 ppm + Salicylic acid 50 ppm + citric acid 50 ppm; (5) CaCl2 50 ppm + Salicylic acid 50 ppm + citric acid 50 ppm + boron 50 ppm; and (6) CaCl2 50 ppm + Salicylic acid 50 ppm + citric acid 50 ppm + boron 50 ppm + Cu 50 ppm. The application method used was (1) basal drench and (2) foliar spray. Application of exogenous compounds was carried out every 3 months. The results revealed that application of exogenous compounds has enabled plants to increase the tolerance to Al stress, as evidenced by an increase in the number of normal bunches and bunch weight, the increase of which was due to the decrease in the number of rejected bunches, especially in the CaCl2 + salicylic acid treatment, which was selected as the most effective treatment. Increased fruit production in this treatment was associated with improvements in physiological processes; decreased MDA and increased photosynthetic rate and activity of APX and CAT enzymes resulted in improvement fruit production. These positive changes in physiological processes after treatment suggested that the addition of those exogenous compounds has induced signalling processes involved in ROS scavenging, that promoted the tolerance to Al stress. Basal drench application method was more effective than foliar spray, this was related to the increase in soil pH and P available due to the application of exogenous compounds through basal drench method.

Assessing the modifications and degradation of cell wall polymers during the ripening process of Rubus ulmifolius Schott fruit

ABSTRACT The stability of cell walls and their constituents, extractives, and water during the development and ripening stages of Rubus ulmifolius Schott fruits (blackberry fruit) was explored. The cell wall plays a crucial role in providing structural support and protection to the fruit, maintaining its shape and integrity. It acts as a barrier against mechanical stress, pathogens, and environmental factors. The ripening stages of blackberry fruit were previously classified in four stages according to the size and volatile components in each one. In the present work, we examine the water and sugar content, thermodynamic properties of the cell wall, and colour determination in each of the four ripening stages. The results indicate that the thermal stability of the fruit decreases during ripening, attributed to depolymerisation and changes in the physicochemical properties of the cell wall polysaccharides. Furthermore, the research reveals that the fruit’s colour and sugar content undergo changes throughout its development and ripening process. These findings suggest that the stability of the cell walls in ripening fruits is influenced by their constituents and interactions, and that ripening is accompanied by alterations. This knowledge can be used to improve fruit production, storage, and marketing strategies, ultimately benefiting both producers and consumers.

Pollination efficiency of a single flower visit of Graphium angolanus Goeze (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) on Psorospermum febrifugum Spach (Hypericaceae) at Dang (Ngaoundere, Cameroon)

To determine the impact of Graphium angolanus on fruit and seed production of Psorospermum febrifugum, its foraging and pollinating activities were studied at Dang, from March 1st to 8th, in 2016 and 2017. For each cropping period, two treatments were set up through labelling of 100 to 200 flowers: one treatment made up of flowers that were protected then uncovered, exposed to a single visit of G. angolanus and reprotected; another treatment with at flowers protected then uncovered and reprotected without insect or any other organism visit. The foraging behavior and pollination efficiency of G. angolanus were measured. The fruiting rate, the mean number of seeds per fruit and the percentage of normal seeds of P. febrifugum were evaluated. The fruiting rate, the mean number of seeds per fruit and the percentage of normal seeds were evaluated. Results show that, G. angolanus foraged on P. febrifugum flowers throughout its whole blooming period. On flowers, individual of G. angolanus intensely harvested nectar. The mean number of individuals foraging simultaneously on 1000 flowers was 19, the mean duration of a visit per flower was 1.57 second and the mean foraging speed was 33.42 flowers per minute. For the two years, through the pollination efficiency of a single flower visit, G. angolanus provoked a significant increment of the fruiting rate by 47.95%, the mean number of seeds per fruit by 15.23% and the percentage of normal seeds by 26.32%. The protection of populations of P. febrifugum is important to maintain the butterfly G. angolanus in the environment so that it contributes to the plant covert essential for the conservation of biodiversity, and to improve fruit production and seed quality of this Hypericaceae.

Introducing linked primers for apple (Malus pumila Mill) flowering or vegetative buds using cDNA-based expression

The juvenile period in trees may keep breeders from the early achievement of successive generations in fruit tree breeding. Shortening this period could lead the plant breeders to improve fruit production faster. The objective of the current research was to identify the candidate loci or primers for apple flower and vegetative (leaf) buds using the cDNA-RAPD technique. Leaf and flower buds were collected from Red and Golden Delicious apples. The synthesized cDNAs were amplified using the cDNA-RAPD based gene expression technique by 10 RAPD primers. All the primers were polymorphic, with an average of 6.2 bands and an average PIC value of 0.162. The highest number of polymorphic bands belonged to the Ah1 primer (11 bands). Marker index (MI) was obtained between 0.702 for Ah6 primer, and 1.32 for Ah1, implying a higher efficiency of the Ah1 primer in determining polymorphisms. Ah3 and Ah4 were more efficient in this respect than the other examined primers. Binary logistic and cluster analyses results showed that the ALL3-Ah1 (815-820 bp), ALL11-Ah1 (740-750 bp), ALL40-Ah7 (885-900 bp), ALL41-Ah7 (800 bp), and ALL45-Ah8 (790-800 bp) bands (alleles) have a significant association with the flower buds, and the ALL44-Ah8 (700-710 bop) allele with the vegetative buds. The identified alleles could be further sequenced and utilized to induce flowering in apple trees. They could be considered as the primers linked to the flowering or vegetative control loci. These primers may serve as selection criteria in the molecular breeding of flowering or vegetative states in apple. It provides a foundation for future studies toward the determination of the functional importance of these candidate loci for shortening the juvenile period of the apple trees. They can be utilized for genetic transformation to induce flowering and shorten the juvenile period in apples and similar trees.

Foraging patterns of bees on watermelon (&lt;em&gt;Citrullus lanatus&lt;/em&gt; Thunb.) flowers in Panama

Watermelon is one of the most important fruit crops in the world, but their flowers require bees for pollination. In this study we determine bee species visiting watermelon flowers, their daily visits and the resource they forage during 84 observation days on crops in Los Santos, Panama. Native bees, especially stingless bees represented most of the visits, so they probably play a very important role on the pollination of the crops within the zone. The most frequent bee species visiting flowers were N. perilampoides (58.7%), A. mellifera (23%), and P. peckolti (4%). Most of the bees foraged nectar, with very similar numbers between staminate and pistillate flowers. Honeybees dedicated almost half of their visits (47.7%) for pollen collection, and made most of their daily visits between 7:00 and 8:00 hours, whereas stingless bees visits picked up between 8:00 and 9:00 hours. Nectar visits were shorter than pollen visits, and overall, honeybees made the shortest visits to watermelon flowers. We found significant differences in the daily foraging patterns between bee species foraging for resources during the 84 observation period (Friedman P&lt;0.05). We also found bee characteristics (size, color and sociability) and hour of the day significantly influenced flower visits for resources (GLMM P&lt;0.05). Our results can be useful for predicting behavior of some of the Central American bee species, and managing and protecting those species, and improving fruit production in local watermelon crops.

Field Performance of ‘Valencia’ Sweet Orange Trees Grafted onto Pummelo Interstocks and Swingle Citrumelo Rootstocks under Huanglongbing (HLB) Endemic Conditions

Interstocks have been used in fruit tree cultivation to regulate tree size and improve fruit production and quality. In this study, several Huanglongbing (HLB)-tolerant open-pollinated pummelo interstock candidates were evaluated as interstocks between the Swingle rootstock and the ‘Valencia’ scion, with Swingle serving as the control interstock. After 5 years in the field, most trees did not exhibit visual HLB symptoms, although the trees were infected with HLB, and the CaLas Ct values in the ‘Valencia’ leaves of the different interstock treatments ranged between 25.88 and 27.82. Although the foliar chlorophyll content among the interstock treatments was not highly significant (p-value = 0.0313), the foliar starch content was significantly different (p-value = 0.0018). ‘Valencia’ grafted onto 5-1-99-3 and HBJL-4 interstocks (both open pollinated seedlings of the Hirado Buntan pummelo) exhibited the highest total phenolic compound (TPC) levels (46.44 and 46.36 mg gallic acid g−1 FW). Transcripts of CsPR1 and CsPR2, two pathogenesis-related (PR) genes, were upregulated in ‘Valencia’ grafted onto open pollinated seedling selections of the red shaddock pummelo, Liang Ping Yau pummelo, and Hirado Buntan pummelo compared with ‘Valencia’ grafted onto Swingle. All interstocks influenced the tree growth rate and improved canopy volume in the field compared to the control trees without any interstocks (p-value = 0.0085). The 5-4-99-7 (red shaddock pummelo) and 8-1-99-1B (Liang Ping Yau pummelo) interstock trees had the highest canopy volume among all the treatments. We propose, based on our current results, that HLB-tolerant citrus accessions, when judiciously used as interstocks, may enhance plant defense and provide increased HLB tolerance to susceptible scions.

Fertilization, pruning and controlled fires on the growth of Feijoa sellowiana (O. Berg) O. Berg.

Feijoa sellowiana (O.Berg) O. Berg is an ornamental and food plant, as well as an important species for ecological restoration and landscaping that still requires much research before consolidating it in the tropical market. To understand if the implementation of techniques focusing on improving fruit production at its wild condition would affect the species’ development, we planted 216 saplings of various mother trees in an incomplete factorial block design applied in nine treatments. We tested formative aerial pruning (drastic intensity), fertilization (chemical and organic), and the effect of controlled fires prior to planting. We evaluated biomass alterations by systematically measuring the third sapling of each treatment, quantifying fresh and dry matter in two periods. We also measured changes in height (H), root collar diameter (RCD), and the H/RCD ratio. We carried out nine measurements during 27 months and used linear mixed-effects models to consolidate the long-term evaluation. Our results indicate a positive effect from the organic fertilization on the plants’ height, a momentary increase in RCD caused by programmed fires, and an increase in the H/RCD ratio due to formative aerial pruning (increasing resistance). Fertilization did not accelerate the increase in RCD and had no effect on the H/RCD ratio.

Effect of seaweed extract on avocado root growth, yield and post-harvest quality in far north Queensland, Australia

Seaweed extracts are proven to increase productivity in many agricultural crops, but there is limited research on their use in avocado production. Therefore, we evaluated the effectiveness of a seaweed extract from Durvillaea potatorum and Ascophyllum nodosum on avocado yield, revenue and post-harvest fruit quality in a series of field experiments in Australia, and on seedling root growth in a pot experiment. The field experiments were conducted on commercial farms across three different locations in northern Queensland over four years and utilised avocado trees with different ages, cultivars (Hass and Shepard) and inoculum pressures from Phytophthora cinnamomi. Results showed that the application of the seaweed extract by fertigation significantly improved avocado yield (kg fruit per tree) by 38%, fruit firmness by 4% (skin) and 22% (flesh) and fruit skin colour by 1° (hue), and an upgraded visual ripeness score. The increases in yield were associated with greater number of fruits per tree (up to 42%) indicating the liquid seaweed extract improved fruit set and retention per tree. Regular soil application of the seaweed extract to young trees (cv. Hass) in pots increased the root fresh weight by 22%. Overall, the regular application of the seaweed extract to avocado trees was found to be practical and economically viable for improving fruit production and post-harvest quality in Australian orchards.

YOLOv5-LiNet: A lightweight network for fruits instance segmentation.

To meet the goals of computer vision-based understanding of images adopted in agriculture for improved fruit production, it is expected of a recognition model to be robust against complex and changeable environment, fast, accurate and lightweight for a low power computing platform deployment. For this reason, a lightweight YOLOv5-LiNet model for fruit instance segmentation to strengthen fruit detection was proposed based on the modified YOLOv5n. The model included Stem, Shuffle_Block, ResNet and SPPF as backbone network, PANet as neck network, and EIoU loss function to enhance detection performance. YOLOv5-LiNet was compared to YOLOv5n, YOLOv5-GhostNet, YOLOv5-MobileNetv3, YOLOv5-LiNetBiFPN, YOLOv5-LiNetC, YOLOv5-LiNet, YOLOv5-LiNetFPN, YOLOv5-Efficientlite, YOLOv4-tiny and YOLOv5-ShuffleNetv2 lightweight model including Mask-RCNN. The obtained results show that YOLOv5-LiNet having the box accuracy of 0.893, instance segmentation accuracy of 0.885, weight size of 3.0 MB and real-time detection of 2.6 ms combined together outperformed other lightweight models. Therefore, the YOLOv5-LiNet model is robust, accurate, fast, applicable to low power computing devices and extendable to other agricultural products for instance segmentation.

Magnetic Iron-Improved Growth, Leaf Chemical Content, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Chinese Mandarin Trees Grown under Soil Salinity Stress.

Chinese mandarin fruits are an inexpensive and rich source of vitamin C. They have potential benefits in treating acute respiratory infections and mitigating inflammation in critical patients with COVID-19. In Egypt, citrus is the most important fruit tree but is sensitive to salinity stress, resulting in poor vegetative tree growth and reductions in productivity and fruit quality. Magnetic iron has emerged as a promising approach in the citrus tree industry, since it improves vegetative growth, yield, and fruit quality and alleviates salinity stress in Chinese mandarin trees grown in soils suffering from high salt stress. This research is aimed at studying the influence of adding magnetic iron (as soil treatment) on tree canopy growth, yield, and fruit quality of 'Chinese' mandarin trees. Therefore, the treatments were as follows: 0, 250, 500, and or 750 g of magnetic iron.tree-1. Our results indicated that all applications of magnetic iron significantly improved tree canopy volume, leaf total chlorophyll, relative water content, yield (kg.tree-1), and the fruit physical and chemical characteristics of Chinese mandarin. In contrast, leaf Na and Cl content, (%), proline, and total phenolic content were decreased by magnetic iron soil treatments. In respect to vegetative growth, our results indicated that adding magnetic iron at the concentration 750 g.tree-1 caused the best values of tree canopy volume. A similar trend was noticed regarding yield. The increase in yield attained was nearly 19%; the best values were obtained when magnetic iron were used at 750 g.tree-1. In conclusion, the application of magnetic iron can lead to improved fruit production and fruit quality of Chinese mandarin trees grown in salinity stress conditions.

Timing of gibberellic acid applications to manipulate flowering and improve fruit production in HLB-affected sweet orange

Timing of gibberellic acid applications to manipulate flowering and improve fruit production in HLB-affected sweet orange

Assessment of post-harvest handling of mango and evaluation of mango jam in major mango producing areas of South Omo Zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia

The present study aimed to assess the postharvest handling practice, demonstrate and popularize mango jam processing on rural households’ levels in major mango growing areas of Debub Ari Woreda, South omo, Southern Ethiopia. Training manual was developed and Practical training on processing, post-harvest handling and utilization of mango jam was given for 12 DAs, 7 Administrators and 161 model Farmers comprising of 72 female farmers and 65 model male farmers and 40 model farmer households were interviewed about the technology and postharvest handling practice in the area in which 28 are females and 12 are male. Postharvest handling practice and sensory perception of mango jam and other relevant data were collected, analysed, interpreted and discussed. Results revealed that, 87.5% of respondent are greater than 25 years old and 40.0% attended various levels (elementary to high school) education. The major transportation method and packaging material used as replied by the respondents are 42.5% (use pack animals: donkey, mule and horse) and 47.5% (use sack), respectively. Pest attack (disease, insect) followed by mechanical damage during harvesting, poor packaging material and damage during transportation were identified as the main causes of mango loss specified by the respondents. Therefore, use of the better adapted and pest/disease-tolerant varieties, improved fruit production and harvesting practice, proper storage and transportation facilities, appropriate postharvest innovations and technologies are required to reduce postharvest loss and extend fruit shelf-life. Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 12(1): 155-160, June 2022

Oligosaccharins Alleviate Heat Stress in Greenhouse-Grown Tomatoes during the Spring-Summer Season in a Semi-Arid Climate

The use of plant biostimulants is a promising tool to stimulate crop growth and yield, as well as to promote plant defense mechanisms under abiotic stresses. The aim of the present work was to investigate the effect of oligosaccharides and their mode of application (to roots, leaves, or both) on the yield and fruit composition of tomatoes grown under greenhouse conditions. Two set-point temperatures for ventilation were established, resulting in two high-temperature levels, one higher than the other. Oligosaccharins stimulated photosynthesis and improved fruit production at both temperatures, but increased yields were more evident under lower temperature-stress. Treatments that included the application of oligosaccharins to the roots decreased the concentrations of sugars, lutein, lycopene, and most phenolic compounds in the fruit. However, when oligosaccharins were applied via the leaves, the concentration of most of the metabolites of nutritional interest in the fruit did not change. The different effects of oligosaccharins on the concentration of the different compounds may be due to a dilution effect due to increased fruit yield, and/or to the possible role of the biostimulants in reducing the stress situation in tomato plants. The results show that the application of biostimulants such as oligosaccharins can improve tomato yield under stress conditions, with the advantage that they are natural products with no negative effect on the environment.

Growth and Instability of Mango and Guava Fruit Crops of Uttar Pradesh, India

Fruit production contributes significantly to food security and economic empowerment in Uttar Pradesh State of India. To ensure sustainable economic contribution of the commodities, understanding the growth and instability trends in crop area and production is imperative. The study analyzed growth and instability in area and production of mango and guava in the State. Time series data from 2005-06 to 2020-21 of the of mango and guava crops area and production of U.P. State were analyzed using semi log function. Result of the growth analysis indicated that growth rate of area and production of mango and guava were positive. The mango and guava fruits crop area and production data were analyzed to determine the instability and growth rates in area and production of these two fruit crops of Uttar Pradesh State covering the most recent period from 2005-06 to 2020-21 by using coefficient of variance (CV) compound growth rates (CGR). It was found that mango registered variability of 3.67% and 18.98%, and compound growth rates of 0.55% and 4.16% in crop area and production, respectively during 16 years period (2005-06 to 2020-21). Similarly, guava registered variability of 62.36% and 6.16%, and compound growth rates of 15.13% and 18.86% in crop area and production, respectively during 16 years period (2005-06 to 2020-21). It is found that growth rates in crop area of mango and guava are lower than growth rate of production in these two crops. This indicates that area has marginal impact on production of these two crops; however, technological interventions such as improved varieties, integrated nutrient and water management, canopy management, integrated pest management, etc., might have more impact on fruit product. This type of study is useful for policy makers/ government in improving fruit production.

Different visitation frequencies of native and non-native bees to vines: how much vegetation is necessary to improve fruit production?

Pollination is provided by biodiversity and maintains global food production. We investigated the effects of vegetation cover on the abundance of floral visitor and vine (Vitis labrusca Raf.) production. We expected an increase in both floral visitor frequencies and vineyard yields with an increase in native vegetation cover in the landscape. We also investigated different scenarios of visitor abundance with and without honeybees (Apis mellifera L.). We surveyed floral visitors from ten vineyard plots with different native cover surrounding them and related both visitors and native vegetation to fruit set. Considering some of these vineyards, we compared physical and chemical traits of berries to understand how they vary according to native vegetation. Floral visitor abundance was positively related to native vegetation cover. However, considering only native bee abundance, we found a dual (hyperbolic) response. Apis mellifera (L.) Africanized was the most abundant species and had the highest number of interactions; however, when removed from the network analysis, the relationship between vineyards and native bees became more specialized. The fruit size and mass of berries differed among vineyards, as did some chemical traits related to commercial quality of fruits, such as soluble solids, pH and flavonoids. Vineyards surrounded by intermediate areas of native vegetation present a balance between resource availability from vineyards and native vegetation. Apis and non-Apis (such as flies and small bees) floral visitors, known to have different effects on vine pollination, could hypothetically provide variation in vine production and quality. Considering a near 20% native vegetation increment, there was an enhancement, on average, of ten-fold more berries per bunch, the changing physical and chemical fruit traits by vegetation increment could also increase the aggregate value of vines and the value of pollination services in the economy.

KINERJA AGRIBISNIS MANGGA GEDONG GINCU DAN POTENSINYA SEBAGAI PRODUK EKSPOR PERTANIAN UNGGULAN

&lt;p&gt;Gedong gincu mango is a specific mango variety in West Java Province, which has a high economic value and the prospect of being a superior export commodity of Indonesia. Despite its increasing production and high market prospect, gedong gincu mango agribusiness still faces various problems, both in on-farm and off-farm aspects. This paper aims to study the agribusiness of gedong gincu mango, covering both on-farm and off-farm aspects and export prospects. In general, gedong gincu mango farmers are small-scale farmers who practice traditional cultivation, harvest, and post-harvest management; are not yet market-oriented, practicing conventional marketing that relies on collecting traders, and have weak institutional. These conditions cause low productivity and diverse quality of gedong mango and are not continuously available throughout the year, which hinders the potential for wide-open exports from being appropriately utilized. It needs improvement in both on-farm and off-farm to improve the production and marketing of gedong gincu mango. At the on-farm level, efforts to increase competitiveness can be made by improving fruit production, productivity, quality, and continuity, by applying good agricultural practices. At the off-farm level, this can be done by improving facilities and infrastructures, institutions, and regulations. These efforts should involve all parties, including farmers (producers), marketing agents (collectors, traders, exporters), and policymakers.&lt;/p&gt;