Fruit Mass Research Articles

Power requirements for olive mechanical harvesting using trunk shaker

A mathematical analysis was conducted to predict the power requirements of the olive trunk shaker. The predicted required power of the olive trunk shaker is influenced by shaking displacement, fruit detachment force, fruit mass, stem length, damping ratio, unbalanced mass of the tree shaker, and exciting shaking frequency. The Olive trunk shaker was tested in the field at five attachment heights, 400, 500, 600, 700, and 800 mm, and six levels of olive trunk diameter: 78, 84, 101, 143, 158, and 186 mm. The results indicated that the theoretical shaking power was 12.8 kW while the actual required shaking power ranged from 7.1 to 17.8 kW, with an average of 12.6 kW due to variations in tree trunk diameters and different attachment heights. Multiple regression using the least squares method was employed to establish a statistical relation between the theoretical equation and the actual required power as a function of the clamp attachment height and trunk diameter. The regression coefficient of the predicted equation was 93.6% for attachment height values between 400 and 800 mm and tree trunk diameter values between 78 and 186 mm, with a mean absolute error of the prediction model was 0.5009 kW.

In Vitro Functional Properties of Rosehips from 'Aurora' Edible Garden Rose's Collection.

Although they have been extensively studied in many species of the genus Rosa L., garden roses' hips have largely been overlooked. To investigate their potential use in the food industry, this study evaluated five cultivars from 'Aurora' collection: 'Purple Aurora', 'Berry Bush Aurora', 'Aromatic Aurora', 'Butterfly Aurora', and 'Rugose White Aurora'. Morphological characterization, along with the assessment of the phenolic profile, vitamin C levels, and biological activities-including antioxidant and neuroprotective effects-was conducted. The fruit mass reached 5.15 g, while the mesocarp mass ranged from 3 to 4 g, resulting in a mesocarp-to-fruit ratio of over 75%. The total phenolic content ranged from 37.1 to 63.9 mg GAE/g de, while total flavonoids were present in amounts from 0.85 to 2.14 mg QE/g de. Rosehip extracts from four out of five cultivars exhibited a very high vitamin C content, reaching 2384 µg/g fw. Quinic acid and 31 phenolic compounds were found in the rosehip extract of at least one cultivar. Results indicated 'Aurora' rosehips have potent antioxidant properties and a moderate inhibitory effect on acetylcholinesterase, highlighting their potential as a source of functional food. Additional research is needed to fully leverage these benefits and establish garden rosehips as a viable alternative to synthetic antioxidants.

Biochemical composition of three Opuntia species O. humifusa, O. phaeacantha, O. engelmannii var. lidheimeri. Prospects of their utilization

Relevance. Opuntia distinguished by high adaptability is widespread in many countries of the world. Tolerance to water deficiency and high biological activity provide prospects of its cultivation for food and pharmaceutical industry. In Russia Opuntia is grown in the Crimea, Caucasus, Donbass, Astrakhan region and even in the Central Russia. Evaluation of the Opuntia cultivation efficiency in the Crimea for various utilization supposes the importance of its biochemical characteristics which variability greatly depends on the place of habitat. Materials and Methods. Total antioxidant activity and titratable acidity were determined using titration methods, polyphenol content –using spectrophotometric method, monosaccharide and total sugar concentrations were assessed via reaction with ferricyanide, mucilage levels were determined gravimetrically.Results. Investigation of cladode, inflorescence and fruit biochemical parameters of three Opuntia species: O. humifusa, O. phaeacantha, O. engelmannii, – gathered at the Southern and South-Eastern part of the Crimean peninsular revealed wide variability of fruit mucilage (4.3-16.56% d.w.), sugar and total antioxidant activity. Polyphenol content decreased according to: inflorescence (18.4-21.0) > fruit (11.7-18) > cladodes (10.2-20.0). Fruit monosaccharide content reached (6.2-31) % while in cladodes these values were in the range of 8.1-16.0%. Total sugar content was equal to 32.6-95% in fruit and 15.5-29.7% in cladodes. Concentration of selenium as a natural antioxidant was higher in the cladodes (102-176 µg/kg d.w.) than in fruit (46.8-72 µg/kg d.w.). The highest levels of the total antioxidant activity and titratable acidity were registered in O. engelmannii while the highest sugar, mucilage and taste index were typical for O. humifusa. Nevertheless, O. humifusa was characterized by the lowest fruit mass (6.0-6.3 g) contrary to O. engelmannii (36-40 g). The results suppose prospects of fruit, cladode and inflorescence utilization in food industry, cosmetics and pharmacology with the preference to O. humifusa.

Preparation and characterization of a konjac glucomannan-based bio-nanocomposite film and its application in cherry tomato preservation

Strategies to overcome the limitations of konjac glucomannan (KGM) films, including their poor mechanical properties, low water resistance, and limited bioactivity, are being developed. In this study, fucoidan-chitosan nanoparticles encapsulating tea polyphenols (TP-FCNPs) were prepared using an electrostatic self-assembly method. Subsequently, a novel bio-nanocomposite film was prepared by incorporating TP-FCNPs as fillers into a KGM-based membrane. The microstructural, physical, and biological properties of the nanocomposite films were evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations showed that in the KGM/TP-FCNPs containing 1–7% TP-FCNPs, the TP-FCNPs were uniformly distributed throughout the KGM film matrix. The highest tensile strength of KGM/TP-FCNPs films was 33.05 ± 1.57 MPa, which was 404.53% that of pure KGM film. Incorporating TP-FCNPs also significantly enhanced the UV absorption ability and antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the bio-nanocomposite films, while reducing their transmittance. In addition, KGM/TP-FCNPs used as packaging effectively reduced fruit mass loss and firmness loss, inhibited microbial growth, and significantly prolonged fruit shelf-life on day 21 of the cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme A. Gray) packaging trial. In conclusion, the KGM/TP-FCNPs bio-nanocomposite films exhibit satisfactory properties, and thus, show potential for applications in fruit preservation.

Microbiological and Chemical Characteristics of Yoghurt Incorporated with Watermelon Rind Powder

Watermelon rind accounts for approximately one-third of the overall fruit mass. It is usually discarded due to its low commercial value. However, it is reported to contain valuable nutrients and is an effective source of pectin that can act as a potential prebiotic. This study aimed to study the effects of watermelon rind powder (WRP) on the growth of probiotic bacteria in yoghurt and its chemical characteristics. Watermelon rind was dried by using a dehydrator and ground into powder form before being incorporated into fresh yoghurt at 2% and 4% w/v. A sample with 0% w/v WRP was prepared as control. The effect of WRP on the growth of probiotic bacteria was determined by MRS plate count. Chemical analyses including titratable acidity, pH and Brix were conducted during the fermentation process. The results showed that the increase in WRP percentage resulted in a significant increase in bacterial growth with 7.20 ± 0.22 log CFU/mL for the control sample as compared to 8.42 ± 0.23 log CFU/mL for sample with 4% WRP after 30 hr of incubation. The fermentation time was also improved with the presence of WRP with a 0.22 h-1 increase in growth rate observed for the sample with 4% WRP as compared to the control sample. Furthermore, samples containing 4% WRP showed the highest increment in titratable acidity (12.47) and the highest percentage in Brix value reduction (51.04%) during the fermentation period as compared to the control sample. Biochemical analysis showed negative values for oxidase and catalase test while positive values were obtained for gram-staining indicating the presence of Lactic acid bacteria from the gram-positive group. This study demonstrates the high potential of WRP in promoting bacterial growth for yoghurt production which is beneficial to the food industry other than promoting the ongoing effort of food waste reduction.

Effect of chemical thinning on fruit growth and fruit quality of ‘Majhoul’ date palm at the end of the ‘Khalal’ stage

The aim of this research work was to study the effect of chemical thinning using NAA (Naphthalene acetic acid) and the manual thinning used by the farmer on the fruit growth and fruit quality of ‘Majhoul’ date palm at the end of the ‘khalal’ stage (color stage and fruit physiologically mature). Trials were carried out on an adult plantation in the Tinejdad region, Tafilalet area. Observations focused on monitoring the fruit growth of different flowering phases and fruit quality at the end of the ‘khalal’ stage. Obtained results showed that the evolution of the fruit size parameters is similar for all flowering phases and all thinning treatments and at the end of the ‘khalal’ stage there is no significant difference (p ˃ 0.05) between flowering phases and between thinning treatments for these parameters. At the end of the ‘khalal’ stage, fruit length is between 4.8 and 4.9 cm and fruit mass is between 25.0 and 25.5 g. The content of sugar in the fruit is higher at the manual thinning treatment than at the NAA treatments, whereas the flowering phases have no effect on this parameter. The pH of the fruit juice is relatively similar for all thinning treatments and all flowering phases.

Long-term effects of silver nanoparticles and mineral nutrition components on the photosynthetic processes, chloroplast ultrastructure and productivity of Solanum lycopersicum plants

The effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), both alone and in combination with mineral nutrients, on the growth and photosynthesis of Solanum lycopersicum plants during ontogeny were studied. The experiment involved weekly applications of 10 μmol of AgNPs for 15 weeks in a greenhouse over a summer period. A comprehensive characterization of the AgNPs was performed via TEM, ESI/EELS, and zeta potential measurements before and throughout the experiment. The activity of PSII, stomatal conductivity, photosynthesis, transpiration and respiration rates were measured, and the photosynthetic pigments, chloroplast ultrastructure, and dry and fresh masses of leaves, roots, and fruits were assessed. The results indicated that combining AgNPs with mineral nutrients increased PSII activity and the photosynthesis rate and altered the chloroplast ultrastructure. However, the use of mineral nutrients or AgNPs alone did not induce these changes. Atomic absorption spectrometry detected AgNPs in all the plant organs except the fruits. The highest fruit yield was associated with Veni Prisma®, a commercial product containing colloidal silver, which also caused desynchronized fruit maturation. This study hypothesizes that the synergistic effect of AgNPs and mineral nutrients enhances silver accumulation in chloroplasts, improving light utilization and photosynthetic efficiency, particularly under low light, thus increasing fruit quantity and dry mass. Conversely, long-term use of AgNPs alone was accompanied by silver accumulation outside the chloroplasts and did not lead to increased photosynthesis or an increase in fresh fruit mass.

Orange peel-mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles with antioxidant and antitumor activities

Orange (Citrus sinensis L.) is a common fruit crop widely distributed worldwide with the peel of its fruits representing about 50% of fruit mass. In the current study, orange peel was employed to mediate the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in a low-cost green approach. Aqueous extracts of suitably-processed peel were prepared using different extraction methods; and their phytochemical profile was identified. Based on phytochemical screening, amount of main phytochemicals, free radical-scavenging ability, reducing power and antioxidant activity, the peel extract prepared by boiling seemed to be the most promising. Thus, major compounds of this extract were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Potency of the peel extract to mediate the synthesis of AgNPs was then monitored by visual observation, UV-visible spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, transmission electron microscopy and zetametry. Color change of the reaction mixture to brown and absorption peak at 450 nm indicated AgNPs formation. Characterization of AgNPs revealed spherical shape, size of 30–40 nm, zeta potential of -18.2 mV and yield conversion of 82%. The as-synthesized AgNPs had antioxidant capacity (free radical-scavenging ability, reducing power and antioxidant activity) lower than that of the orange peel extract. However, these biogenic AgNPs had antitumor activity (IC50 of 16 ppm against HCT-116 and 1.6 ppm against HepG2 cell lines) much higher than the peel extract that was completely non-toxic to the considered cell lines.

Guava ripening and quality in response to pre-harvest boron spraying

The physiological process of guava fruit ripening is difficult to manage in orchards. Boron (B) is a nutritional element with a physiological effect on fruit ripening through its role in ascorbate metabolism. This study evaluated the effects of single boron pre-harvest spraying on fruit ripening and post-harvest. The treatments consisted of B-monoethanolamine (MEA) sprays (11% B) at concentrations of 0 (control), 1, 2, and 3ml L-1. Foliar sprays were applied on guava trees cv. Cortibel RG, at the physiological stage Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt, und Chemische Industrie (BBCH) 78 (fruits at 80% of final growth). The study used a randomized block design with five replicates. Fruits were harvested 5, 8, 15, and 17 days after B-MEA spraying. The nutritional content was assessed in the leaves and fruits. The fruits were analyzed for ascorbic acid content (AA), total sugars, reducing and non-reducing sugars, titratable acidity, soluble solids, ripeness index, total phenolic compounds, total carotenoids and total anthocyanins. Moreover, the fruit weight, length and diameter were measured and yield were assessed. Fruit firmness and mass loss were evaluated post-harvest. The data showed an increase in ascorbic acid content in the fruit in all treatments with B-MEA sprays. Spraying B-MEA 3 ml L-1, or 180.84 g ha-1, increased the earliness and standardization of ripening, which took place over a shorter period of time, maintaining firmness and reducing post-harvest fruit mass loss.

Productivity of Certain Varieties of Apples and Importance of Their Gene Formation

Due to the diversity of its natural and historical conditions, Azerbaijan is one of the centers of the initial formation of many plants, having a great genetic richness of the plant world. A large number of valuable varieties and forms of food and agricultural plants have been created through folk selection and scientific selection, with the history of agriculture covering several millennia. However, massive and anthropogenic disturbances of all these natural and cultural heritage ecosystems, which are the irreplaceable wealth of the people, created a large number of valuable varieties and forms of ecological and agricultural plants. However, all this natural and cultural heritage, which is the irreplaceable wealth of the people, is threatened with destruction as a result of mass and anthropogenic disturbances of ecosystems, ecological and agricultural changes, and the wide application of modern breeding achievements. In addition to all this, the study, protection, and effective use of the gene pool of the apple plant in the country is one of the main factors. In this regard, based on our long-term research, with the efficient use of the gene pool of the apple plant in Azerbaijan, new “spur”-type selection varieties (Nigar, Ziya, Zirva, Marfa, Sulh, Gobustan, Zumrud, Kyzyld Taj, Khazar, Eldar, Ulvi, Nübar, Vatan, Makhmari, Nuran, Sarvan, Chiraggala, Davamli, Emil, Elvin, Paizliq Guba, Zizliq Guba, Shabran, Sadaf and Sevinj) were created by us. In the article, the parental pairs of those cultivars are reflected in the ripening period, ripening, fruiting periods, tree parameters (height, diameter of the umbel, circumference of the stem), productivity indicators, leaf surface, infection rates of scab disease, average mass of fruits and tasting prices. At the same time, the article contains the introduction, research conditions, methodology, material, results, discussion, recommendations, and used literature sources.

Variability Assessment of Banana Cultivars and Intercropping with Lemongrass Based on Fruit Quality Indicators

Bananas are one of the most consumed fruits in the world and are essential for food security and in the agricultural economy. Their sustainable production is vital for many communities. Herein, the effects of banana cultivars, cropping systems (monocropping and intercropping with lemongrass), and the interaction between these factors on the physicochemical characteristics of ripe and unripe fruit were evaluated. The intercropping of bananas with lemongrass did not alter the main quality indicators of the fruit. The ripe fruits of the SCS451 Catarina cultivar stood out for their higher fruit mass, pulp/peel ratio, and firmness, while the fruits of the Prata Anã and BRS FHIA Maravilha cultivars had the highest SS, SS/TA ratio, pH, and reducing and total sugars. The cultivar SCS451 Catarina had the highest mineral content in the unripe fruit, and for all cultivars, the order of mineral levels was K > N > Mg > P > Ca > Fe > Zn. The higher content of total and resistant starch in the unripe fruit of the Prata Anã and BRS FHIA Maravilha cultivars, combined with the characteristics of the ripe fruit, make them suitable for both fresh consumption and industrial use. Diversifying cultivars improves the quality of banana fruit, and intercropping with lemongrass can be a sustainable method of managing banana fields.

Comparative Study of the Agronomic and Organoleptic Performances of Some Varieties of Papaya (Carica papaya L.) Grown Outdoors and in Polyhouse in Kerala (India)

The present study was undertaken with the objective to evaluate the performance of papaya varieties under two growing conditions (open and polyhouse) in terms of yield and quality attributes. The study was conducted in Fruits Crops Research Station, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur during 2022-2023. The seedlings of seven papaya varieties, CO-3, CO-7, Arka Surya, Arka Prabhath, Coorg Honey Dew, Pusa Delicious and Red Lady were planted under both open field and polyhouse condition at a spacing of 2 m x 2 m in CRD with five plants per variety. Compared to the plants grown in open field, the plants grown under polyhouse showed an early flowering (75.68 days), minimum fruit cavity index (15.47 %), zero disease incidence to PRSV, maximum TSS (13. 67 ˚B) and total sugars (11.26 %) in CO-7 while maximum fruit length (18.84 cm) and fruit mass (2605.34g) were observed in CO 7. It was also observed that CO-7 grown under polyhouse showed an increased yield (55.20 kg/plant) as compared to the plants under open condition. Hence, it can be concluded that CO-7 can be successfully cultivated under polyhouse condition in Kerala with good yield and quality.

Application of computer vision and machine learning in morphological characterization of Adansonia digitata fruits

Measuring fruit mass and volume is a time-consuming and tedious task that can affect production planning. This study developed a computer vision system to estimate the volume and mass of baobab fruits from single-view images captured from inexpensive and readily available cameras such as those in smartphones. The baobab fruits were collected from two study fields within the savanna ecological zone. Their images were captured, and subsequently, they were detected and segmented with over 97 % accuracy. The segmented images were binarized, and two-dimensional (2D) features such as the segmented area, centroid, bounding box, equivalent diameter, and major diameter were extracted from them. The volumes of the fruits were estimated from the 2D features using random forest, linear, polynomial, and radial support vector machine models. All the models achieved high goodness of fit; however, the random forest model delivered the best performance, with an R2 value of 99.8 %. The relationship between mass and volume was a quadratic equation (mass = 38.23 + 0.25 × volume + 4.49e−05 × volume2) and had an R2 value of 92 %. Correlations were validated via plots and statistical tests, and credible intervals of point estimates were determined from the posterior distributions of their samples. This highlights the potential of artificial intelligence methods to be applied in a less constrained environmental setting for ecological research and agricultural management. Commercial companies producing baobab powder and seed oil should apply these models for effective production planning. To enhance the model, it would be beneficial to gain a better understanding of how climate gradients affect the morphological characteristics of baobab fruits.

Phosphate fertilization to improve yield and chemical composition of banana ‘BRS SCS Belluna’ fruit

Phosphate fertilization improves banana yields, but due to the physiological effects of phosphorus on plants, it can also be used to improve the physical and chemical characteristics of the fruits, which can contribute to increasing the processing of green bananas and reducing losses in the production chain. Herein, the productivity of bunches and fruit, the biometric analysis of the fruit, dry matter content, and the chemical composition of immature fruit were evaluated when the cultivar BRS SCS Belluna (AAA) was grown under different levels of phosphate fertilization for two harvest cycles. The results showed that phosphate fertilizer levels interfered with bunch yield and fruit mass in both cycles, leading to yield gains of 44.3% (1st cycle) and 84.0% (2nd cycle) in bunches and 51.8% (1st cycle) and 81.9% (2nd cycle) in fruits. Fertilization promoted gains of up to 33.5% in fruit mass and enhanced the resistant starch content in the pulp, leading to an increase of 15.1%. The phosphorus, potassium, and calcium contents in green fruits increased with fertilizer levels in the first cycle, improving nutritional quality. These results have useful applications because they indicate that adequate management of phosphate fertilization can increase the potential of the cultivar for industrial processing of green fruits and the nutritional quality of the derived products.

Contribution of physical-chemical variables and passion fruit production in Baixo Acre

This study investigated the production and physical and chemical characteristics of eight sour passion fruit genotypes cultivated in Baixo Acre, AC. Evaluation of fruit number (FN), productivity (PRO), longitudinal diameter, transverse diameter (LD and TD), peel thickness (PT), average fruit mass (AFM), pulp mass (PM), juice yield (JY), soluble solids (SS), titratable acidity (TA), ratio, and pH of genotypes H1, H3, R, V1, V2, V3, V4, and V5 was performed. Univariate, multivariate, and Pearson's correlation analyses were performed. Univariate analyses revealed that the genotype H1 stood out in terms of AFM, JY, and PRO; H3 for TD, LD, JY, and pH; H1, H3, V1, and R for LD; H3 and V5 for pH; and V4 and V5 for NF. A strong positive correlation was observed among the physical variables AFM, PM, LD, and TD. Four genotypes groups were obtained for both genetic divergence and PCA. The H1 genotype presented higher productivity, and the H3 genotype presented better fruit physical attributes.

Behavior of ponkan mandarin tree canopy grafted onto rangpur lime and flying dragon rootstocks

The Rangpur lime rootstock was the basis of Brazilian citrus growing for many years. However, this rootstock has been gradually replaced due to the occurrence of Citrus Sudden Death. The Flying Dragon rootstock has stood out as one of the options for replacement as it has different characteristics, such as reducing the size of the plant. There is no information in the literature about the behavior of Flying Dragon as a rootstock for Ponkan mandarin. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the behavior of Ponkan mandarin tree canopy grafted onto Rangpur lime and Flying Dragon rootstocks concerning physiological, agronomic, and fruit quality parameters. In the experiment, productivity, soil moisture, water potential, plant height, fruit diameter, fruit length, fruit mass, fruit pH, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, and ratio were evaluated. The Flying Dragon rootstock was responsible for the decrease in average productivity in the Ponkan mandarin culture. Greater plant heights were obtained when canopies were grafted on Rangpur lime. The soluble solids content of fruits from scions grafted on Flying Dragon was higher, but the degree of uniformity of the soluble solids values obtained from the Rangpur lime tree was higher.

Effects of retained node numbers on berry maturity and yield components of cane-pruned Sauvignon blanc

Cane pruning is used in most New Zealand Sauvignon blanc vineyards to manage yield, vine balance (relationship between vegetative growth and fruit growth) and fruit primary and secondary metabolites. The source–sink ratio (TLA/FM—total leaf area to fruit mass or ELA/FM—exposed leaf area to fruit mass), the fruit mass to pruning mass (FM/PM), the fruit mass to cane mass (FM/CM) and fruit composition provide an assessment of the vine performance and balance. The interpretation of these metrics (i.e., TLA/FM, ELA/FM, FM/PM, FM/CM) requires their comparison with known optimal ranges specific to cultivars, locations and growing conditions. More often, such context- and cultivar-specific optimal ranges do not exist, thus warranting research to investigate them. To understand the influence of retained node numbers on the vegetative and fruit development of Sauvignon blanc, grapevines were pruned across three vineyard sites (two in Marlborough—Site 1 and 2, and one in Waipara—Site 3) over two growing seasons, retaining 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 nodes on one to four canes (each cane carrying ten nodes, with 50-node vines carrying on average 12.5 nodes on each of the four canes). The accumulation of soluble solids (TSS) generally increased at lower node numbers and vine yields, reflecting an increase in ELA/FM, with 50-node vines having the least TSS concentration at harvest. The average berry mass, titrable acidity (TA) and pH were unaffected by node numbers over the two seasons. A low source–sink ratio induced by high node numbers not only reduced the vine capacity to ripen the current crop but also reduced the following season’s bunch number per shoot (from 1.8 to 1.6 bunches per shoot; p < 0.05), average bunch mass (from 82.0 ± 6 g to 67.7 ± 3 g; p < 0.01) and bunch mass per shoot (from 153.5 ± 15 g to 106.7 ± 9 g; p < 0.05). When compared to 50-node vines, 10-node vines had a two-fold increase in the average cane mass (from 30.1 ± 3.9 g to 69.2 ± 8.7 g; p < 0.001) and average old cane mass (from 82.4 ± 6.9 g to 163.8 ± 21 g; p < 0.001). The ELA/FM and TLA/FM required for optimal TSS accumulation were 0.75 m2 kg-1 and 2.0 m2 kg-1, respectively, across all sites. A source–sink ratio above these values resulted in high average cane mass and average old cane mass (an indication of excess vigour), while lower values indicated reduced vigour and slowed TSS accumulation. This research provides useful optimal ranges to compare and interpret vine balance metrics measured at those sites.

Image processing based modeling for Rosa roxburghii fruits mass and volume estimation

The mass and volume of Rosa roxburghii fruits are essential for fruit grading and consumer selection. Physical characteristics such as dimension, projected area, mass, and volume are interrelated. Image-based mass and volume estimation facilitates the automation of fruit grading, which can replace time-consuming and laborious manual grading. In this study, image processing techniques were used to extract fruit dimensions and projected areas, and univariate (linear, quadratic, exponential, and power) and multivariate regression models were used to estimate the mass and volume of Rosa roxburghii fruits. The results showed that the quadratic model based on the criterion projected area (CPA) estimated the best mass (R2 = 0.981) with an accuracy of 99.27%, and the equation is M = 0.280 + 0.940CPA + 0.071CPA2. The multivariate regression model based on three projected areas (PA1, PA2, and PA3) estimated the best volume (R2 = 0.898) with an accuracy of 98.24%, and the equation is V = − 8.467 + 0.657PA1 + 1.294PA2 + 0.628PA3. In practical applications, cost savings can be realized by having only one camera position. Therefore, when the required accuracy is low, estimating mass and volume simultaneously from only the dimensional information of the side view or the projected area information of the top view is recommended.

Potential of reproductive traits in functional ecology: A quantitative comparison of variability in floral, fruit, and leaf traits.

Despite their claimed low intraspecific variability, plant reproductive traits are less frequently used in functional ecology. Here we focused on underrepresented plant organs, i.e. flowers and fruits, by comparing their traits with well-established leaf traits. We evaluated 16 functional traits (six floral, six fruit, and four leaf traits) in a randomly selected group of woody species under comparable environmental conditions. We aimed to assess interspecific and intraspecimen variability and explore the potential of the proposed flower and fruit traits for ecological research. Traits related to the dry mass of flowers and fruits exhibited the highest interspecific variability, while carbon content traits in flowers and leaves had the lowest. At a specimen level, specific leaf area revealed the highest variation. Carbon content traits for all organs demonstrated the least intraspecimen variability, with flower carbon content being the least variable. Our study revealed connections between the newly proposed traits and widely recognized functional traits, uncovering intriguing links between the established traits and the floral and fruit traits upon which we focused. This complements the already well-recognized variability in plant form and function with additional insights into reproductive processes.

Quantitative descriptors that contribute to variability in the F3 population of ornamental pepper

The diversity of peppers from the Capsicum genus has always enriched global cuisine and is currently driving the growth of the ornamental plants market. In this sense, breeding programs with ornamental peppers play a crucial role in the evolution of the ornamental market. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate genetic variability in an F3 population of ornamental pepper through principal component analysis (PCA) based on quantitative descriptors of ornamental interest and identify correlations between them through Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis. In the F3 generation of a genetic improvement program with ornamental pepper plants at the State University of Montes Claros, 200 genotypes were conducted. In these, four quantitative descriptors were evaluated: plant height (PH), fruiting stages (FS), production (PD) and average fruit mass (AFM). The data were subjected to normality and homogeneity of variance tests (p<0.05) and, subsequently, to principal component analysis (PCA) to evaluate genetic diversity between genotypes. Analyzes were performed using PAST software. The PCA results demonstrated that the variables PD and PH were the ones that contributed most to PCA I, while for PCA II it was FS. In the Pearson correlation coefficient, it was observed that the most significant correlation occurred between the PH and PD variables. AFM and PD were negatively correlated, indicating that the greater the average fruit mass, the lower the number of fruits produced. The results of this study will open up opportunities for the development of new cultivars of ornamental peppers, which are cultivated mainly by small producers or family farmers.