Late Harvest Research Articles

Effects of Harvest Time and Storage Form on Insect Population and Damage of Maize

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of harvest time and storage form on population levels of insect pests and their damage on stored maize. Maize was cultivated on a total land area of 19 x 23m2 during the major season (April to August 2020) and minor season (September to December 2020). Maize was harvested at three stages; early harvest, mid harvest and late harvest. Harvested maize was stored in three ways; husked, de-husked and shelled. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to the data through Sisvar version 5.6. Insect pests that were sampled during the study were Sitophilus zeamais, Cathartus quadricollis, Carpophilus dimidiatus and Tribolium castaneum. Carpophilus dimidiatus were sampled from treatments during the major season whereas Tribolium castaneum was sampled during the minor season. Sitophilus zeamais and Cathartus quadricollis were sampled in both seasons. In the major season, late harvest shelled maize (LHS) recorded 689% more S. zeamais numbers as compared to early harvest husked maize (EHH). Mid-harvest husked maize (MHH) had 307% less number of S. zeamais compared to LHS in the minor season. Late-harvest shelled maize (LHS) had the highest percentage insect damaged kernels (86.94%) in the major season.

Agronomic characteristics, insect pollinators, and seedbank persistence of a novel oilseed crop, chia (Salvia hispanica L.) in eastern China

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.), a member of the Lamiaceae family, is a newly emerging crop species in China, gaining extensive attention worldwide as a potential dietary oil and pharmaceutical resource. However, there are few reports on the cultivation or field evaluation of chia in China. The present study was conducted to evaluate the agronomic performance of chia, including the determination of the suitable seeding window and seed yield potential. Data were also collected on flower-visiting insects, flowering phenology, and seedbank persistence of chia for providing baseline information on weed risk assessment for the potential of crop introduction in China. Results showed that chia seeded between late-Apr. and middle-May produced a greater seed yield (mean: 686.6 kg ha−1; ranges: 324.5–1034 kg ha−1) compared to that of seeded at other dates (mean: 136.6 kg ha−1; ranges: 0–311.0 kg ha−1). While the content of individual saturated and unsaturated fatty acids of the chia seed oil varied with seeding date and genotype, the unsaturated fatty acids, including C18:1 (oleic acid), C18:2 (linoleic), and C18:3 (linolenic) were the most abundant fatty acid in chia seed oil, accounting for approximately 87 % of the total oil content. At the present location, even though the chia seeding dates varied from mid-Mar. to end-Jun., the plants could still complete the whole crop lifecycle with similar dates for the specific phenological stage. Moreover, chia flowers attracted a diverse group of pollinating insects from the Hymenoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, and Coleoptera. Eastern honeybees (Hymenoptera) and syrphid flies (Syrphidae) were the most abundant insect species, accounting for 25.4 % and 25.8 % of all insect pollinators, respectively. While the chia cannot persist in the seedbank during the spring growing season, the seeds from the late fall harvest could be partially dormant in the soil seedbank with the potential for generating the weed control problem in the subsequent crops. The baseline information obtained from this study would help understand the potential ecological risk of chia and serve a valuable reference for introduction of chia production in China.

Supplemental irrigation at the jointing stage of late sown winter wheat for increased production and water use efficiency

ContextThe sowing of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the winter wheat-summer maize double cropping system is considerably delayed due to late harvest of the maize. This delayed sowing leads to reduction in spike numbers and ultimately the yield. Supplemental irrigation at the jointing stage (SIJ) can effectively regulate the population of winter wheat, but few studies have reported the impacts of SIJ on water utilization, wheat stem number fluctuations, and yield formation of late sown wheat. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine the effects of sowing scheme accompanied with SIJ on wheat yield and water use efficiency (WUE). MethodsA two-year field experiment with two treatment factors (sowing date and irrigation schemes) in a split-plot design was laid out during 2018–2020 in the wheat growing seasons. The main plots were divided into two levels: normal sown date (A1) and late sown date (A2). The split plots included two irrigation schemes: no SIJ (W0) and SIJ (W1). ResultsThe soil water consumption at 20–120 cm soil depth during sowing to jointing stage in late sown wheat (A2) was significantly lower than the normal sown wheat (A1) but it increased considerably at 100–200 cm soil depth from jointing to maturity in A2. SIJ (W1) in late sown wheat produced better yield and WUE than no SIJ (W0). Under W1 conditions, A2 significantly promoted water consumption from jointing to maturity compared with A1, but, because water consumption from sowing to jointing was very low, seasonal water consumption remained significantly low. Additionally, A2 showed accelerated dry matter accumulation after jointing, increased grain numbers per spike and per unit area, improved net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of flag leaf and post-anthesis assimilate production. ConclusionsSIJ accelerated Pn and dry matter accumulation after jointing in late sown wheat, increased grain numbers per unit area, grain yield, and WUE without increasing seasonal water consumption. The seasonal water consumption in the normal sown period were higher. Although the number of spikes in normal sown wheat with higher water consumption, total stem number and dry matter accumulation before jointing was higher, after SIJ, the yield and WUE were lower than those of late sown wheat owing to the reduction in grain numbers per spike. SignificanceThis study explains how the sowing scheme and SIJ affect wheat yield and WUE, and demonstrates that SIJ was particularly crucial for late sown wheat to achieve the synergistic improvement of grain yield and WUE.

Managing herbicide‐resistant waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus [Moq.] J.D. Sauer) seedbanks by integrating several management tactics

AbstractHerbicide‐resistant waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus [Moq.] J.D. Sauer) continues to threaten the productivity of many US crops. Thus, integrating non‐herbicidal tactics with herbicides to reduce weed seedbanks is gaining popularity. A field study was conducted near Logan, IA from fall 2021 to fall 2022 to evaluate the impacts of cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crop, herbicides, and harvest weed seed destruction on the waterhemp seedbank inputs. The cereal rye cover crop reduced waterhemp seed production by 90% compared to treatments without the cereal rye cover crop, while herbicides did not significantly affect waterhemp seed production. Furthermore, 96% of waterhemp seeds that entered the combine at harvest were destroyed and seed destruction effectiveness was not affected by cereal rye cover crop, herbicide program, or combine speed. Thus, cover crops and weed seed destruction are effective tactics to minimize waterhemp seedbank inputs. Waterhemp seed retention and combine header losses of waterhemp seeds were evaluated at harvest. Waterhemp seed retention was not affected by the cereal rye cover crop or herbicide programs. Only 30% of waterhemp seeds remained on the plant at harvest; the likely causes of seed shattering were late harvest and windy conditions prior to harvest. Waterhemp seed shattering from the combine header averaged 2.6% and was not affected by cover crop, herbicide program, or combine speed. These results support the inclusion of non‐herbicidal control tactics to reduce herbicide‐resistant waterhemp seedbanks and suggest the need for future research to optimize weed seed destruction.

Factors affecting development of disorders expressed after storage of ‘Gala’ apple fruit

This study investigated factors influencing susceptibility and development of physiological disorders and decay expressed after long-term storage in ‘Gala’ apple fruit (Malus domestica Borkh.). Five experiments were performed over ten production years with fruit from two environmentally different orchard locations in a humid subtropical climate at 990 m (warmer) and 1415 m above sea level. Fruit were harvested at two maturity stages (early and advanced), treated or not treated with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and stored at 0.5 °C or 2 °C in a controlled atmosphere (CA, 1.5 kPa O2 and 2.5 kPa CO2), for 240 d plus 7 d shelf life. In one experiment, fruit were stored in CA with CO2 concentrations of 1.5 or 3 kPa. The relationship between fruit mineral composition and physiological disorders was assessed in one production year. Flesh browning (FB) was the predominant disorder, followed by decay, cracking, and lenticel breakdown-wet (LB-wet). The average severity index of lenticel breakdown-dry (LB-dry), leather blotch and bitter pit were low and variable across production years. The FB index was lowest in fruit produced at the colder orchard location, early harvest, treatment with 1-MCP, and storage at 2 °C. These factors also influenced fruit softening after storage. The major source of variance of the FB index in order of decreasing contribution were harvest maturity, production year, orchard location, 1-MCP and storage temperature. Production year variability of FB index correlated positively with early summer rain and negatively with early spring temperature. A weak positive correlation was also found between FB index and fruit K+Mg/Ca ratio. Higher CA CO2 concentration increased FB in fruit stored at 0.5 °C but not at 2 °C. The same factors affected decay, cracking and LB-wet disorder similarly as for FB, except that decay and cracking were not consistently affected by storage temperature, and decay and LB-wet were not impacted by 1-MCP. Storage temperature had the most influence on the variance of LB-wet. LB-dry was highest in late harvest fruit and, in the production year with the highest index, in fruit stored at 0.5 °C. Leather blotch was highest in early harvest fruit and in fruit stored at 0.5 °C. 1-MCP treatment did not affect disorders other than FB and cracking. These results suggest that interactions among harvest and postharvest factors influence the development of ‘Gala’ FB and other disorders and indicate a possible relationship of chilling in FB development. The information may be useful for implementing practical strategies to reduce the development of these postharvest disorders in ‘Gala’ apple fruit.

Lettuce Germplasm in Humid Subtropical Environments Tolerant to Postharvest Development of Pink Rib Disorder

Pink rib discoloration or pinking in the midribs of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) leaves is a stress-induced disorder that leads to crop loss worldwide. Maintaining recommended field and postharvest conditions reduces its incidence but does not eliminate the issue. During the past decade, research has identified the tolerance of this disorder among lettuce types and cultivars grown in cooler climates. However, tolerance to pink rib among lettuce types grown in humid subtropical climates is unknown; therefore, it is necessary to screen lettuce germplasm under these growing conditions. During this study, diverse lettuce accessions were planted for early-season, mid-season, and late-season harvests over two seasons in Belle Glade, FL, USA. Harvested midribs were wounded to induce pink rib, stored for 6 to 9 days at 5 °C and >95% relative humidity, and rated for severity using a 5-point subjective scale. Genotype × environment interactions were evaluated to understand the environmental factors that favor the development of pink rib during storage and between planting seasons. Pink rib severity increased during storage, with the highest increase observed after 3 to 4 days in both seasons. After 9 days of storage, lettuce accessions with the least pink rib for each leaf type were identified. The lowest pink rib ratings after 9 days of storage were “moderate” (rating of 3) for crisphead, Latin, and romaine, “slight” (rating of 2) for butterhead types, and “none” (rating of 1) for leaf types. Additionally, pink rib severity increased among accessions during the late spring season harvest when field temperatures were higher and daylight hours were extended. The lettuce germplasm with low susceptibility to pink rib is promising to breed lettuce lines for future research.

Dangler for Accelerated Dehydration: A Novel System for Assessing the Impacts of Relative Humidity on Fruit Water Loss During Cold Storage of Blueberries

Blueberries are prone to dehydration during storage. Firmness is one of the most critical quality attributes associated with this period, with the loss of water from the fruit representing the most significant limitation for the fresh market. Therefore, one of the great challenges is maintaining the quality characteristics of the fruit in shipments by sea, which can take up to 60 days when sent from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere. The random arrangement of each fruit within a packaging unit (different proportions of the stem scar and cuticular surface exposed to the environment) represents an essential source of variation in the prediction of softening during the storage period. A special device, referred to as a dangler for accelerated dehydration (DAD), was designed to expose nearly the entire fruit surface to the environment and determine the impact of factors such as relative humidity and the role of the stem scar and cuticle on fruit water loss. Consequently, to evaluate the ability of DADs to find differences in fruit dehydration, blueberries sampled at early, peak, and late harvest dates were placed in DADs and exposed to three controlled levels of relative humidity (30%, 65%, and 96% relative humidity; 1.2 ± 0.7 °C) for 10 days. Berries within the DADs were untreated, immersed in hexane for 5 seconds to remove bloom, painted with quick-drying nail polish on the pedicel end to seal the stem scar or immersed in hexane for 5 seconds, and painted with quick-drying nail polish on the pedicel end. At each harvest, fruit weight loss was significantly affected by the fruit and RH treatments, as well as the interaction between them. A regression analysis of the control treatment indicated that water loss at lower relative humidities occurred faster in fruit from the first harvest. The results reveal that DADs can be used to characterize preharvest and postharvest stimuli at an individual level and within a short time (10 days).

GIS-remote sensing-based village-level hydrological balance approach for agricultural water planning

Ensuring food security through the increase in food production can be realised by converting agricultural fallow lands into cultivable ones and assuring irrigations in three crop seasons in all agricultural lands. That can be done through a village (i.e., mouza) level water management planning through rainwater harvesting. This needs step by step procedures based on hydrologic balance for providing the best way of management of water resources to secure precious agricultural lands from man-made degradation. This study was conducted at a mouza Gohalura in the Red and Laterite Zone of West Bengal, India. In that village major crops grown were ‘Aman’ rice (A practices of Rice cultivation by transplanting in rainy season and harvested in early winter season) during the rainy (i.e., monsoon) season; Groundnut during Rabi under both rainfed and irrigated farming situations and ‘Boro’ rice (a practice of rice cultivation by transplanting in late winter and harvesting in early summer) in summer. The major problems in crop production in that village were some rainfed agricultural lands with erratic and uncertain rainfall of which about 26 percent (i.e., 464 mm) received during non-monsoon period (15 October to 7 June), and a high infiltration rate of soil. Shortfall in annual water balance of 248.13 mm could be managed through existing river lift irrigation from the adjoining river Dulung, a tributary of the Subarnarekha River. Application of GIS and remote sensing were useful in land use land cover classification, creation of a digital elevation model of the village and calculation of areas under individual classes of land. Creating and renovating water harvesting ponds in the mouza would facilitate multipurpose benefits for the farming community including agriculture in three crop seasons in all cultivable lands through such rational water management planning in that village. Following such village-wise water balance approach another 16.37 ha (i.e., agricultural fallow out of the total agricultural land area of 40.23 ha) i.e., about 69 per cent increase in irrigated area could be made possible. Such methodologies could be projected for other areas, and that could be followed in other areas also.

Establishing a Consumer Quality Index for Fresh Plums (Prunus salicina Lindell)

Plums are primarily marketed for fresh consumption, canning, freezing, jam and jelly. Unfortunately, plum consumption has remained steady or declined. Consumers complain about a lack of flavor quality but are willing to pay for higher quality. Thus, absence of flavor and cold storage disorders are the main barriers to consumption. Plum cultivars are sensitive to gel breakdown, flesh browning and ‘off flavors’. Consumer approval and postharvest life are controlled by genotype, quality attributes, harvest date and proper postharvest handling. A consumer quality index (CQI) based on soluble solids concentration (SSC) and minimum firmness is proposed to maximize flavor and postharvest life. In most cases, late harvest increases quality attributes. Our work and industry experience demonstrated that using critical bruising thresholds (CBT) based on minimum firmness measured at harvest acts as a reliable predictor of how late to harvest safely for maximum visual and sensory quality. Plums tolerated late harvest well because of their high tolerance to bruising damage, but suitable postharvest temperature management and selling within the potential postharvest life are required to maintain flavor and avoid the beginning of chilling injury. Thus, to maximize flavor and postharvest life, a CQI based on SSC and minimum firmness measured at consumption is proposed. This article provides guidance on using this CQI, combined with proper postharvest handling techniques, such as correct harvest date determination and temperature management, to maintain quality and increase consumption.

Utilization of jojoba oil and salicylic acid as postharvest treatment on storability and fruit quality of ‘Late Swelling’ peach cultivar

The ‘Late-Swelling’ peach is an important cultivar due to its attributes of fruit quality, such as handling ability and late harvest season. Peaches rapidly deteriorate during storage, which shortens their shelf-life. The preservation of quality traits of ‘Late-Swelling’ peach during handling and storage investigated. Fruits harvested in the early ripe stage (last week of June) were either dipped in jojoba oil (JO) 500, 1000, and 1500 ppm and salicylic acid (SA) 100, 200, and 300 ppm, then stored at 5+1 °C and 85% RH for 35 days besides 7 days as shelf-life the fruits were examined every 7 days until the end of the experiment. Positive influences were observed for JO and SA on the different chemical and physical characteristics of the peach fruits under study especially those related to storability and fruit quality. All fruits treated with JO 1500 and 1000 ppm, and SA 300 ppm maintained the fruit firmness, hº, total acidity, and ascorbic acid over the whole storage period, in addition to the lowest decay and weight loss, as well as maintaining the fruit sensory quality and decreased peroxidase [PPO] activity while increasing polyphenol oxidase [POD], catalase [CAT], and ascorbate peroxidase [APX] activities compared with the control at the end of shelf-life period. In conclusion, our results suggest using JO and SA to enhance and prolong the storability of peach fruits at 5+1 °C and 85% RH.

English

Harvest time has an important influence on the storability of fruits. And the blueberry fruits bloom and mature in batches. Present study was conducted to investigate the effect of harvest dates on the postharvest quality of Northland blueberries during 49 days of storage at 4?1 ?C. We examined fruit weight loss decay rate firmness soluble solid content (SSC) titratable acidity (TA) vitamin C (VC) total phenol flavonoid anthocyanin and malondialdehyde (MDA) content polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activities in five blueberry batches with different (early middle and late) harvest times. Results indicated that after harvest blueberries underwent deterioration of their qualities owing to fast ripening and senescence. Among the five examined batches those harvested 60 and 65 days after flowering (middle harvest) were less affected by the storage period. Fruits from these batches maintained longer postharvest quality and showed extended storage life through the deceleration of weight loss decay incidence PPO activity softness TA SSC VC and increase in the total POD activity phenol flavonoid anthocyanin and MDA content. Based on our data the early and late harvested fruits are better suited for fresh fruit sales while fruits with intermediate harvest dates are optimal for long-term storage. Our study provides a reference framework for the postharvest storage of certain blueberry cultivars by taking into account their harvest dates.

Maturity biomarkers predicting storage performance of early-harvested yellow-fleshed kiwifruit identified using integrated multi-omics analysis

Accurate determination of kiwifruit maturity in the first half of the harvest window is crucial in predicting storage risk, since early-harvested fruit are more susceptible to disorders and rots during extended cold storage. Maturity estimations are usually based on soluble solids content (SSC), but SSC alone is unreliable at early harvest times, necessitating the need for more precise markers. To address this, we performed multi-omics on harvested, yellow-fleshed kiwifruit at four chronological ages based on days after anthesis, namely early harvest (H1), early-mid (H2), late-mid (H3) and late harvest (H4), across two seasons from the same orchard. Analysis of phenotype, transcriptome, metabolome, proteome, hormone concentrations and enzyme activity profiles identified discriminating features within the datasets that separated harvest times, particularly in the first half of the harvest window. Strong seasonal variability was observed. The most reliable variates for maturity estimation were found in the transcriptome, and two transcripts with sharply decreasing abundance during early harvest (Aquaporin TIP4-1 and MYB10) and three transcripts with sharply increasing abundance during later harvest (β-Amylase 3.2, Pectinesterase inhibitor protein and α-Terpineol synthase) with relative seasonal stability were identified. In a different season we used these five potential biomarkers in combination with SSC as a predictive tool. This allowed precise assessment of the maturity stage of fruit in the first half of the harvest window from 12 orchards in four geographical regions, and accurate prediction of their storage outcome.

Spectrochemical analysis of seasonal and sexual variation of antioxidants in Corema album (L.) D. Don leaf extracts

Bioactive phytoconstituents have been increasingly investigated for their potential human health benefits. Corema album (L.) D. Don, an Ericaceae, reportedly has antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer properties. Aiming at enhancing its nutraceutical potential, we performed a spectrochemical analysis of hydroethanolic extracts from C. album leaves. We report on changes in the antioxidant activity of the extracts, as well as in the accumulation of key phytoconstituents (namely phenolic compounds), in female and male samples, throughout three harvesting seasons (February, July, and October). For each extract, the antioxidant activity was assessed by different spectrophotometric methods. Simultaneously, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform mid-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), and high-performance liquid chromatography – electrospray ionisation – quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS), were used to identify and monitor variations in the composition of phenolic compounds in the extracts. The main compounds identified were epicatechin, laricitrin-O-hexoside isomers, and myricetin-O-hexoside isomers. Significant differences were found in the composition and relative abundance of the compounds of interest, according to sex and season. Overall, a trend was observed whereby phenolic content and antioxidant activities were higher in males and increased between the earlier and the latest harvests. Based on these results, we may conclude that late summer or early autumn harvests are preferable when aiming at the highest yearly content of bioactive compounds. Additionally, it should be considered that extracts from male individuals typically display higher antioxidant activities. Ultimately, our understanding of C. album in the context of nutraceutical applications is benefited from the quantitative and qualitative portrait provided here, thus promoting its relevance as a source of bioactive compounds.

111 Forage Mass and Nutritive Value of Cool-Season Grass-Legume Mixtures Overseeded into Bahiagrass Pastures

Abstract Warm-season perennial pastures are the base of livestock production systems in lower Alabama. To overcome the shortage in forage production during the late fall and winter months, during bahiagrass dormancy, overseeding pastures with cool-season annuals can be used as an option for providing forage during this period. Diverse forage mixtures of multiple species and functional groups have gained popularity in use among forage-livestock producers, but few evaluations have been conducted in overseeded sods. The objective of the study was to evaluate forage mass and nutritive value of cool-season forage mixtures overseeded into bahiagrass pastures. Six, 0.40-ha paddocks of ‘Pensacola’ bahiagrass were overseeded with one of three cool-season forage mixtures (n = 2 paddocks/treatment) on November2, 2021: 1) oat (Avena sativa), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and balansa (Trifolium michelianum), red (Trifolium pratense), and white clover (Trifolium repens; ‘clovers’); 2) oat, cereal rye (Secale cereale), and clovers; and 3) cereal rye, annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), and clovers. When forage mixtures reached a target grazing height of 20 cm, paddocks were managed using flash mob stocking with beef cow-calf pairs to graze to a target height of0 cm. Herbage mass, nutritive value, botanical composition and height samples were collected pre- and post-grazing events. There was no treatment (P = 0.240) or treatment × harvest (P = 0.4239) effect on forage mass. Harvest date affected (P = 0.029) forage mass, with greater forage mass at late harvest (1,903.33 kg DM·ha-1) than at early (1,253.33 kg DM·ha-1) in the growing season. There were no treatment effects observed for species components (P > 0.05), although grasses dominated the forage mixtures with an average of 80% grass presence. Legume establishment was poor (less than%) and the remaining species composition consisted of weed species (19%). There was a treatment effect (P = 0.003) on CP, where oat-rye-clovers had the greatest CP and rye-ryegrass-clover had the least CP. Oat-wheat-clover mixtures had greater TDN (79.2%), less NDF (39.8%), and ADF (18.7%) than cereal rye-ryegrass-clover (75.4%, 46.1%, and 22.2% for TDN, NDF, and ADF, respectively), but did not differ from oat-cereal rye-clover mixtures (76.6%, 45.7%, 21.0% for TDN, NDF, and ADF, respectively). In year of this study, overseeding bahiagrass supported forage production over a 2-month period and can be a management tool used to reduce the need for supplementing in the dormancy periods of warm season perennial grasses.

Efficiency of cultivation of variegated alfalfa and awnless brome in pure form and in mixed sowings

The development of technology elements for the cultivation of perennial alfalfa-brome mixtures contributes to the formation of highly productive agrocenoses and reduce the cost of fodder mass. In 2017-2022, in the conditions of the Penza region, there has been studied the effect of seeding rates of alfalfa variegated of Daria variety and awnless brome Udalets in pure and mixed sowings, the level of mineral nutrition and the time of harvesting green mass on the economic and energy efficiency of cultivation. Growing seasons of 2017-2021 were characterized by dry conditions (HTC = 0.4-0.8), of 2022 – by normal moisture (HTC = 1.0). The calculation of the cost of production showed the advantage of the seeding rate of alfalfa and brome 70+40 %, the introduction of N45P60K90 and harvesting in the early phase the cost of 1 ton of feed units amounted to 2.36 thousand rubles, in the variant without fertilizers at this seeding rate, the cost was 6.8 % higher – 2.52 thousand rubles. The level of profitability of alfalfa-brome mixtures when cultivated for green mass was at a high level and amounted to 161-238 % according to the variants. Higher rates were obtained in variants with a seeding rate of 70+40 %, the introduction of N45P60K90 during harvesting both in the budding phase and variable mowing – 235-238 %. Cost of 1 ton feed units at a seeding rate of 70+40 % was 1.51-1.96 GJ (depending on the mowing period), a decrease in the seeding rate of alfalfa to 40 % increased the cost of 1 ton of feed units up to 1.74-2.20 GJ. The use of mineral fertilizers increased the cost of 1 ton of feed units when applying P60K90 by 0.02-0.06 GJ, and when introducing N45P60K90 by 0.29-0.36 GJ. The early phase of harvesting was energetically favorable – the cost of 1 ton of feed units was lower than when harvesting in the flowering phase by 0.08-0.15 GJ. With a high seeding rate of alfalfa and a low seeding rate of brome (70+40 %), the maximum energy efficiency coefficient (EEC) was obtained – 5.2-7.1 (depending on the background of nutrition and the mowing period). With a decrease in the seeding rate of alfalfa from 70 to 40 %, a decrease in the EEC to 4.5-6.1 was noted. The application of mineral fertilizers significantly reduced the EEE indicators – from 5.8-7.1 to 5.5-6.7 with the application of P60K90 and to 4.3-5.3 with the application of N45P60K90. At an early harvesting time (budding phase), the EEC was slightly higher – 4.7-7.1, than at a late harvesting time (flowering phase) – 4.5-6.8.

Isolation and functional verification of an aspartate aminotransferase gene from Neoporphyra haitanensis

BackgroundNeoporphyra haitanensis is a commercial laver species in China. Aspartic acid is an important flavor amino acid, and aspartate aminotransferase (AAT) is a crucial enzyme in its biosynthesis. In this study, we cloned one AAT gene (NhAAT) from the red alga N. haitanensis and investigated its sequence structure, transcriptional expression and enzymatic characteristics. The purpose of our research is to obtain a functional AAT responsible for the biosynthesis of aspartic acid from red seaweeds, which has the potential to influence the flavor of N. haitanensis.ResultsSequence analysis showed that NhAAT contains a conserved domain of Aminotran_1_2, which belongs to the transaminase superfamily. The secondary structure of NhAAT is dominated by α-helix. The results of enzymatic characterization illustrated that the NhAAT has highest catalytic activity at 45 °C and pH 7.5 in both forward and reverse reactions. The calculated Km values of NhAAT was 5.67 and 6.16 mM for L-glutamic acid and L-aspartic acid, respectively. Quantitative analysis showed that the NhAAT expression of N. haitanensis collected in late harvest (Dec) was 4.5 times that of N. haitanensis collected in early harvest (Oct), while the aspartic acid content of N. haitanensis collected in late harvest (Dec) was 1.2 times that of N. haitanensis collected in early harvest (Oct).ConclusionThe results of enzyme kinetics indicated that NhAAT prefers to catalyze the reaction in the direction of aspartic acid production. Moreover, the trend of NhAAT expression level was consistent with that of aspartic acid content in N. haitanensis in different harvest periods. Our research is helpful to understand the accumulation and regulation of amino acids in N. haitanensis in different habitats and the taste difference of N. haitanensis in different harvest periods.

Prediction of Maple Syrup Quality from Maple Sap with a Plasmonic Tongue and Ordinal Mixed-Effects Modeling

A gold nanoparticle (Au NP)-based plasmonic tongue is shown to correlate well with the emergence of flavor defects in the late season harvest of maple syrup, validated with a representative sampling of 29 304 maple syrups of different grades. The daily average temperatures, pH, transmittance, °Brix, and total and individual amino acid concentrations provided evidence that the plasmonic tongue responds to amino acid concentrations, which is then correlated to an off-flavor index. The amino acid to sugar ratio decreased significantly in syrup compared to sap, a result of their consumption in the Maillard reaction during the boiling process. An ordinal mixed-effect model was shown to accurately predict the amino acid concentrations and the most likely grading class of maple syrup from the plasmonic tongue’s response. Taken together, the plasmonic tongue with the mathematical model could serve as a predictor of the output quality of maple syrup from maple sap at the production site.

Precise control of water stress in the field reveals different response thresholds for forage yield and digestibility of maize hybrids.

With dwindling global freshwater supplies and increasing water stress, agriculture is coming under increasing pressure to reduce water use. Plant breeding requires high analytical capabilities. For this reason, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been used to develop prediction equations for whole-plant samples, particularly for predicting dry matter digestibility, which has a major impact on the energy value of forage maize hybrids and is required for inclusion in the official French catalogue. Although the historical NIRS equations have long been used routinely in seed company breeding programmes, they do not predict all variables with the same accuracy. In addition, little is known about how accurate their predictions are under different water stress-environments. Here, we examined the effects of water stress and stress intensity on agronomic, biochemical, and NIRS predictive values in a set of 13 modern S0-S1 forage maize hybrids under four different environmental conditions resulting from the combination of a northern and southern location and two monitored water stress levels in the south. First, we compared the reliability of NIRS predictions for basic forage quality traits obtained using the historical NIRS predictive equations and the new equations we recently developed. We found that NIRS predicted values were affected to varying degrees by environmental conditions. We also showed that forage yield gradually decreased as a function of water stress, whereas both dry matter and cell wall digestibilities increased regardless of the intensity of water stress, with variability among the tested varieties decreasing under the most stressed conditions. By combining forage yield and dry matter digestibility, we were able to quantify digestible yield and identify varieties with different strategies for coping with water stress, raising the exciting possibility that important potential selection targets still exist. Finally, from a farmer's perspective, we were able to show that late silage harvest has no effect on dry matter digestibility and that moderate water stress does not necessarily result in a loss of digestible yield.

Response of forage maize yield and quality to mulch film and harvest time in Northern Europe

Forage maize (Zea mays L.) yield and nutritional quality fluctuate markedly in Northern Europe due to weather conditions. A field experiment was conducted in Southern Finland (Helsinki, 2018–2020) and in Central Finland (Maaninka, Kuopio, 2019–2020) to study the effect of harvest time and use of mulch film, in order to optimize the dry matter (DM) yield and quality. Treatments included oxo-biodegradable mulch film and no mulch, and three harvest times (the latter only in Helsinki). Mulch film increased DM yield on average by 2.3 Mg ha-1 in Helsinki and by 3.8 Mg ha-1 in Maaninka. Mulch film had a minor effect on the quality, and overall, the quality improved, although DM yield accumulation had already ceased. Nevertheless, the starch contents fluctuated and remained mostly below the target rate – 300 g kg-1 DM – especially in Central Finland. The results indicate that mulch film improves forage maize yield, but a late harvest is still required to improve forage quality. However, climate conditions still restrict starch accumulation to ears in Northern European climate conditions, especially in the important milk production area in Central Finland.

Postharvest Application of Acibenzolar-S-Methyl Activates Salicylic Acid Pathway Genes in Kiwifruit Vines.

The plant defence inducer Actigard® (acibenzolar-S-methyl [ASM]) is applied before flowering and after fruit harvest to control bacterial canker in kiwifruit caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae. Pre-flowering application of ASM is known to upregulate defence gene expression; however, the effect of postharvest ASM on defence gene expression in the vine is unknown. In this study, the expression of eight "defence marker" genes was measured in the leaves of Actinidia chinensis var. chinensis, "Zesy002," and Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa, "Hayward," vines after postharvest treatment with ASM and/or copper. There were two orchards per cultivar with harvest dates approximately three weeks apart for investigating potential changes in responsiveness to ASM during the harvest period. In all trials, postharvest ASM induced the expression of salicylic-acid-pathway defence genes PR1, PR2, PR5, BAD, DMR6, NIMIN2, and WRKY70. Gene upregulation was the greatest at 1 day and 7 days after treatment and declined to the control level after 3 weeks. In "Zesy002", the ASM-induced response was greater at the early harvest site than at the late harvest site. This decline was concomitant with leaf yellowing and a reduction in RNA yield. Effects of postharvest ASM on gene expression did not persist into the following spring, nor were vines conditioned to respond more strongly to pre-flowering ASM application.