Fruit Physical Characteristics Research Articles

Physio-chemical and Phytochemical Characteristics of a Lesser-known Wild Edible Fruit of Mizoram, Elaeagnus pyriformis Hook. F. (Family Elaeagnaceae): Need for its Proper Domestication

The lesser-known yet incredibly nourishing wild edible fruit Elaeagnus pyriformis Hook.f. is found in the north-eastern mountainous states of India. Elaeagnus pyriformis fruits were collected from three villages in Champhai District, Mizoram, with the goal of analysing their physio-chemical and phytochemical qualities in order to determine its potential for domestication. Measurements were made of the fruit's physical characteristics, including its length, diameter, weight, and moisture content. Juice was extracted, and total soluble solids (TSS), titrable acidity, ascorbic acid, reducing sugar, total sugar, non-reducing sugar, and sugar:acid ratio were among the chemical parameters that were examined afterward. The existence of several beneficial substances was determined by phytochemical screening. Physical and chemical differences between the samples from various villages were found to be significantly varied, according to the results. Ruantlang produced the highest titrable acidity, whereas Zotlang had the maximum fruit weight, length, TSS, reducing sugar, total sugar, non-reducing sugar, and flavonoid content. Fruit diameter, the ratio of sugar to acid, and the total phenolic content were all highest in Hmunhmeltha. The fruit's phytochemical examination identified flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, tannins, and cardiac glycosides.

Physical, Organoleptic, and Phytochemical Valuation of the Promising Greek Kiwifruit Genotype Arta Kiwifruit

To evaluate a new kiwifruit genotype named “Arta Kiwifruit”, a comparative analysis of fruit physical characteristics and biochemical composition in comparison to the widely cultivated Hayward cultivar took place, both at harvest and after a storage period for two successive years. The findings revealed that “Arta Kiwifruit” holds a significant advantage, as it features a larger fruit size, is approximately 34% heavier than “Hayward”, and boasts a distinct shape characterized by a bigger length. Both genotypes exhibited similar dry matter content. No significant difference was observed in protein content, or total phenolic compounds between the two genotypes, while “Hayward” exhibited a significantly higher concentration of sugars and higher sweetness index. “Hayward” demonstrated also increased levels of chlorophyll at harvest, along with higher concentrations of carotenoids. “Hayward” during the first year presented higher antioxidant activity both at harvest and after storage. On the other hand, “Arta Kiwifruit” displayed elevated amino acid concentrations compared to “Hayward”, both at harvest and after storage. Phenotypic traits, as well as the genetic analysis using inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers, further confirmed the distinct genetic profile of “Arta Kiwifruit”, highlighting its potential significance for kiwifruit breeding programs and commercial use.

Evaluation of Salicylic Acid Effects on Growth, Biochemical, Yield, and Anatomical Characteristics of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Plants under Salt Stress Conditions

Salt stress is a major issue in agriculture and crop production that influences global food security. Mitigation options to address salt stress through agronomic practices can help manage this issue. Experiments were performed in two summer seasons in an experimental farm to test the impact of three salinity levels (S): 300 (control), 1000, 2000, and 3000 ppm, and two salicylic acid (SA) levels, including 1.0 and 1.50 mM, and their interaction on growth and yield of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) hybrid Suma. The results showed that increasing S levels up to 3000 ppm reduced plant and fruit physical characteristics, as well as leaf and fruit chemical characteristics, especially leaf total chlorophyll, carotenoids, relative water, fruit nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents, which led to a reduction in total yield per plant. However, an insignificant effect was observed in the control level and 1000 ppm saline water in leaf area, fruit length, leaf total chlorophyll content, fruit phosphorus content, and total yield per plant. In contrast, leaf sugars, proline contents, electrolyte leakage, fruit TSS (total soluble solids), and ascorbic acid contents were improved with S levels up to the concentration of 3000 ppm compared to the control. However, tested parameters were significantly higher due to the SA foliar spray of 1.0 mM besides photosynthetic pigments of leaves enhanced by using 1.0 and 1.50 mM. Using 1.0 mM SA concentration alleviated the adverse impact of S on eggplant plants until 1000 ppm saline water, reflecting an increase in eggplant yield. The anatomical structure of eggplant leaves revealed positive variations in mature leaf blades in both the stressed and SA-treated plants. Based on these results, the use of SA at a concentration of 1.0 mM may lessen the negative impacts of salt on the growth of eggplant, which increases the overall yield.

Diversity of plums belonging to P. domestica L., P. insititia L. and Prunus × rossica Erem. Tree vigour, yielding and fruit quality attributes

From 2017 to 2022, tree growth, yield components, fruit quality attributes and antioxidant capacity of autochthonous and rare plum cultivars of different genetic origin were investigated. The research was carried out in the environmental conditions of Serbia in orchard where intensive horticultural measures were applied. The results showed a wide variability of the examined parameters among cultivars and among plum types. The ‘Olenka’ plum had the most vigor trees, whereas ‘Saint Julien’ had dwarf trees. The Serbian autochthonous plums ‘Metlaš’ and ‘Crvena Ranka’ had the best yield components (Y, CY, YE). ‘Timočanka’ had the highest FW and fruit size, whereas ‘Metlaš’ and ‘Saint Julien’ had the weakest fruit physical characteristics. Unexpectedly, ‘Saint Julien’ had the highest content of soluble solids, both ripening and sweetness indexes and RS. The highest and similar content of TS was found in the fruits of ‘Crvena Ranka’, ‘Timočanka’ and ‘Obilnaya’. ‘Crvena Ranka’ and ‘Obilnaya’ had the highest content of N-RS. The Czech autochthonous cultivars ‘Durancie’ and ‘Chrudimská’ had a similar and highest content of vitamin C, while the highest TPC and TFC were found in the fruits of ‘Metlaš’ and ‘Olenka’, respectively. The highest amount of anthocyanins had ‘Obilnaya’, whereas the lowest had ‘Saint Julien’. Fruits of ‘Durancie’ had the highest TAC, followed by ‘Timočanka’ and ‘Obilnaya’, whereas fruits of ‘Olenka’ had the poorest antioxidant power. Considering their overall performances, evaluated plums can be grown in production orchards for different purposes or can be an alternative to the leading commercial cultivars in similar ecological conditions. Also, they can be used for breeding programs.

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) Performance under Foliar Application of Humic Acid, Brassinosteroids, and Seaweed Extract

The excessive use of chemical fertilizers in fruit orchards has led to numerous problems for the environment, produce quality, and food safety. It also negatively affects soil health, beneficial microorganisms, and ground water quality, hence the resurgence of the application of biostimulants as ecofriendly ways to improve the growth, yield, and fruit quality of tree fruits. The current study was performed during 2021 and 2022 to investigate the influence of foliar spraying of 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/L humic acid (HA); 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/L brassinosteroids (Brs); and 1000, 2000, and 3000 mg/L seaweed extract (SWE) compared with a control (untreated trees) in terms of the performance of an apricot (Prunus armeniaca) cv. Canino. The obtained results show that the spraying of HA, Brs, and SWE positively increased the shoot length, leaf area, leaf chlorophyll content, fruit set, fruit yields, and fruit physical and chemical characteristics, as well as leaf macro- or micronutrients contents compared with those untreated trees during both study years. Moreover, the increase in parameter values was parallel to the increase in the used concentrations of HA, Brs, or SWE, where 2000 mg/L HA, 2 mg/L Brs, and 3000 mg/L SWE were superior to 1000 mg/L HA, 1 mg/L Brs, and 2000 mg/L SWE, which were better than 500 mg/L HA, 0.5 mg/L Brs, and 1000 mg/L SWE.

Effect of Zinc Nanoparticles on Seed Priming, Growth and Production of Cucumber

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is an important vegetable and its demand remains around the year. High quality and yield are desired quality for both grower and consumers. Therefore, influence of seed priming and foliar application of zinc nano particles was checked on yield and quality of cucumber. ZnO nano particles are non-toxic and recently listed as “Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)” safe material by food and drug administration and use as food additive. Due to interaction of nano particles with plant, many physiological and morphological changes take place depending on the characteristic of Nanoparticles. By the exploitation of new application of nanotechnology crop yield can be increased. In plants, nano particles as a zinc fertilizer with small size and large surface area are predicted to be an ideal material to use. Zinc is one of the vital nutrients required for plant growth Result indicate that zinc nano particles at 20 ppm concentration increased seed germination as well as physical parameters plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, number of flower, yield, fruit weight, fruit length, fruit diameter, average single fruit weight, fruit firmness and fruit color was increased. Furthermore, chemical parameters like total soluble solids, ascorbic acid and titratable acidity was increased at 20 ppm zinc nano particles as compared to control and other treatments. Present research proves that seed priming and foliar application of zinc nano particles are effective for improving fruit physical and chemical characteristics. The finding of this research work will be helpful in future research on utilization of nano particles for vegetable crops.

Effect of Some Biostimulants on the Vegetative Growth, Yield, Fruit Quality Attributes and Nutritional Status of Apple

Although the application of chemical fertilizers to crops promotes plant growth and yield, their continuous use affects soil heath and creates environmental pollution. On the other hand, plant biostimulants improve nutrients absorption, plant growth, yield and produce quality and are environment-friendly. Therefore, an experiment was conducted during 2021-22 to evaluate the effect of some biostimulants on the performance of the apple cv. Anna, planted in a sandy loam soil at Marsa Matruh governorate, Egypt. Ninety trees were randomly selected and sprayed with 4 or 6% moringa leaf extract (MLE), 0.3 or 0.4% seaweed extract (SWE), 1000 or 2000 mg L−1 Fulvic acid (FA), 4% MLE + 0.3% SWE + 1000 mg L−1 FA (combination 1), or 6% MLE + 0.4% SWE + 2000 mg L−1 FA (combination 2) before flowering, during full bloom and one month later and compared with a control (untreated trees). The results demonstrated that spraying MLE, SWE or FA or their combinations positively improved the vegetative growth, fruit set %, fruit yield and fruit physical and chemical characteristics as well as leaf nutritional status. The positive effect of MLE, SWE and FA was increased in parallel to an increase in the used concentration of each one of them. The highest increments in the measured parameters were accompanied by the application of combination 2 over the other treatments.

Effect of vermicompost and organic matters soil application on yield, fruit physical and chemical composition of H116 pomegranate trees

Pomegranate trees are one of the most important economic fruit crops that bear cultivation in arid and high temperature zones, it also bears the increase in salinity in the soil and irrigation water. Pomegranate fruits are characterized by their health benefits and contain a large amount of nutrients and antioxidants. Vermicompost is one of the organic fertilizers used recently in the field of agriculture, also it is characterized by containing nutrients and natural growth regulators that are important for the growth of trees and increase the yield. So the purpose of this study is determine the appropriate rate of vermicompost and organic matters to have the best yield of pomegranate fruits and to improve its physical and chemical characteristics. The present research has been made during two seasons (2020 and 2021) in a private orchard located in El-Beheira governorate, Egypt, to examine the effect of soil application of vermicompost at a rate of 1:5 kg/tree and organic matters at a rate of 5:10 kg/tree on productivity, physical and chemical properties of fruits and leaf minerals content of H116 pomegranate trees. The addition of vermicompost and organic matters in different rates were able to effect on leaves mineral content, fruits yield, fruit physical and chemical characteristics of H116 cultivar, compared with the treated trees with organic matter only. Moreover, soil application H116 cultivar with 2 kg vermicompost + 8 kg organic (T2) and 5 kg vermicompost + 5 kg organic matter were the best treatment in this study to gave the highest leaf minerals content, fruits yield and fruit physical and chemical characteristics and antioxidant activity in the 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively.

Diversity among native Serbian cornelian cherry (Cornus mas L.) accessions: An ideal plant for sustainable cultivation, source of antioxidants and functional food

From 2018–2020, we evaluated main fruit phisico-chemical properties and antioxidant capacity of 27 natural cornelian cherry (Cornus mas L.) accessions selected at western Serbia. The results indicated significant differences in FW, SW, Dg, L/D ratio, φ, FRa, SA and FV and contents of primary metabolites, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity among accessions. In general, the best fruit physico-chemical properties and antioxidant activity had ‘AFTM 1′, ‘AFTM 7′, ‘AFTM 8′, ‘AFTM 10′, ‘AFTM 18′ and ‘AFTM 19′ although there were similarities between certain accessions in the values of the evaluated traits. The ‘AFTM 1′ characterized with the highest FW, FRa, both fruit dimensions, Dg, SA, FV, TAc and TPC and with the lowest SSC. The highest SSC had ‘AFTM 14′. The lowest values of all fruit physical traits were registered in ‘AFTM 6′. This accession had good TPC. The ‘AFTM 18′ had the best antioxidant capacity, whereas ‘AFTM 19′ had the highest TFC. The worst vitamin C content, TAc and TPC had ‘AFTM 21′ and ‘AFTM 24′, respectively, whereas the lowest TFC and TAC were registered in ‘AFTM 11′. The highest RI was found in ‘AFTM 8′ and ‘AFTM 10′. The most acidic fruits had ‘AFTM 11′ and ‘AFTM 27′. The ‘AFTM 27′ had the lowest RI, whereas ‘AFTM 24′ had the worst TPC and TFC. The fruit physical characteristics correlated significantly and positively with each other. However, correlations between fruit physical traits and content of primary and/or secondary metabolites were not significant in most cases or were of weak intensity, indicating that larger fruits were generally poorer in phytochemicals content. PCA can be a very useful tool for segregating natural accessions with the best fruit physico-chemical properties and antioxidant activity.

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.

​Effect of Foliar Applied Nitrogen with Growth Regulators (2,4 D, GA3, Amrut-pani) and Soil Applied Potassium on the Management of the Rough-skin Disorder of Nagpur Mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco)

Background: Rough-skin disorder mainly occurs in 6-12 years old young and senile orchards of Nagpur mandarin due to excess application or availability of potassium. The characteristics of rough-skinned fruits are large fruit size with rough textured peel, segments are loose intact with rind, improper fruit shape (fruit length to breadth ratio is equal to one or more than one), reduced juice per cent and TSS. Methods: Based on the incidence of rough-skin disorder, an orchard of Nagpur mandarin was earmarked at Hetikundi village of Wardha district, Maharashtra for Mrig bahar during 2020. The selected orchards are 10 years old, spaced at 6 m x 6 m and grafted on Rangpur lime rootstock. At harvest, yield and yield attributes, fruit physical characteristics and critical quality characteristics viz. TSS, acidity, TSS/ acidity ratio and vitamin C content of disordered and normal fruits were recorded according to treatments. Result: Foliar application of plant growth regulators like 2,4-D 15 ppm and GA3 15 ppm and reducing soil application of potassium in high potassium available soils reduced the rough skin and improved the rind texture and physicochemical characteristics at harvesting in mrig bahar.

Comparative transcriptomic analysis of two Cucumis melo var. saccharinus germplasms differing in fruit physical and chemical characteristics

BackgroundHami melon (Cucumis melo var. saccharinus) is a popular fruit in China because of its excellent taste, which is largely determined by its physicochemical characteristics, including flesh texture, sugar content, aroma, and nutrient composition. However, the mechanisms by which these characteristics are regulated have not yet been determined. In this study, we monitored changes in the fruits of two germplasms that differed in physicochemical characteristics throughout the fruit development period.ResultsRipe fruit of the bred variety ‘Guimi’ had significantly higher soluble sugar contents than the fruit of the common variety ‘Yaolong.’ Additionally, differences in fruit shape and color between these two germplasms were observed during development. Comparative transcriptome analysis, conducted to identify regulators and pathways underlying the observed differences at corresponding stages of development, revealed a higher number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Guimi than in Yaolong. Moreover, most DEGs detected during early fruit development in Guimi were associated with cell wall biogenesis. Temporal analysis of the identified DEGs revealed similar trends in the enrichment of downregulated genes in both germplasms, although there were differences in the enrichment trends of upregulated genes. Further analyses revealed trends in differential changes in multiple genes involved in cell wall biogenesis and sugar metabolism during fruit ripening.ConclusionsWe identified several genes associated with the ripening of Hami melons, which will provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of fruit characteristics in these melons.

Study the effect of foliar spraying by Glutathione, Butyrecin and their interaction on some physical, chemical and productive characteristics of date palm Phoenix dactylifera L. CV. Hellawi

This study was conducted on Phoenix dactylifera L. Hellawi date palm trees in one of the private orchards in Al-Haritha district in the north of Basra governorate during the growing season 2021 to know the effect of foliar spraying with the antioxidant Glutathione (0, 50, 100 mg. l-1) and the butyrecin growth regulator at a concentration (0, 50, 100 mg. l-1) by three sprays four weeks after contracting, between one spray and another one month, on some physical, chemical and physiological characteristics of fruits, leaves and components of the date palm yield of the cultivar Al-Hellawi. The results showed that the treatments of spraying with Glutathione at a concentration of 100 mg. l-1 and spraying with butyrecin at a concentration of 100 mg. l-1 were significantly superior, by giving them the highest increase in the physical characteristics of fruits (fruit weight, fruit flesh weight, fruit size) in the Kallal and wet stages compared to the control treatment. It outperformed in increasing the rate of fruit set and the rate of fruit ripening and increasing the rate of b and the amount of the total yield compared to the comparison treatment.

Gametophytic self-compatibility and its influence on the physical characteristics of plum fruit

Gametophytic self-incompatibility can be one of the obstacles to achieving high yields in plum orchards. Therefore, we sought to verify in the field, the occurrence of gametophytic self-compatibility and its influence on the physical characteristics of fruits in Japanese plum accessions. The work was installed at the Research Pole of IDR-Paraná in Ponta Grossa-PR, in 2021, selecting six accesses belonging to the BAG-Ameixa site. The experimental design was completely randomized (DIC) with a split plot (6 x 2), with the plot having six accessions and the subplot having two methods of pollination, induced self-pollination and free pollination, with five replications. For the variables related to the physical quality of the fruits, the DIC was delimited, with the six accessions as treatment and four replicates of five fruits. Data were analyzed using the Rstudio software, applying the Tukey test at the 5% level. The variables observed for self-compatibility were the percentage of apparent and effective fruiting. For the physical quality of fruits, the total mass, seed and pulp, vertical and horizontal diameter, volume, pulp yield and seed/fruit mass ratio were evaluated. Free pollination was higher in the percentage of apparent and effective fruiting, and the genotypes PR-1013 and PR-1095 were the materials that presented the highest percentages for these variables, as well as for the physical quality of the fruits. The evaluated accessions were considered self-incompatible for not having fruits that reached the final maturity, being free pollination the best method of pollination for the development of fruits.

Effect of foliar spray of ammonium nitrate and irrigation time on vegetative growth, fruit set, yield and fruit quality of \u201cEwais\u201d mango trees

BackgroundThe current experiment was done during the 2018 and 2019 seasons on ‘Ewais’ mango trees (Mangifera indica) grown in Research Station, El-Nubaria district, Egypt, to study the impact of spraying ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) and irrigation time on vegetative growth, yield and fruit quality. All experimental plants have been received the same care, i.e. control of pests & weeds, fertilization, and irrigation until the 1st week of October. The irrigation was adapted to apply 5m3/feddan (4200 m2)/week to control leaves damage due to low temperature after this period and the treatments included: (T1) Water spraying at 1st week of November + start normal irrigation program at the same time after four weeks of adapted irrigation as 5m3/feddan (4200 m2)/week (Control). (T2) Spraying with NH4NO3 2% at 1st week of November + start normal irrigation program at the same time after four weeks of adapted irrigation as 5m3/feddan /week. (T3) Spraying NH4NO3 2% at 1st week of November + start normal irrigation program at 1st week of December after eight weeks of adapted irrigation as 5m3/feddan/week. (T4) Spraying NH4NO3 2% at 1st week of November + start normal irrigation program at 1st week of January after twelve weeks of adapted irrigation as 5m3/feddan/week. All treatments received the same quantity of irrigation water, approximately 4000 m3/feddan/year.ResultsAll treatments (T2, T3 & T4) had a significant influence on vegetative growth, fruiting behavior (fruit set % & the yield), and the fruit quality compared with the control (T1). The significant was not only the fruit physical characteristics (weight, dimensions, volume, and specific gravity) but also the fruit chemical characteristics (total soluble solids % (T.S.S.), acidity %, T.S.S / acid ratio and vitamin C (L- ascorbic acid)).ConclusionSpraying NH4NO3 2% at 1st week of November plus start normal irrigation program at 1st week of November or December or January after 4 or 8 or 12 weeks of adapted irrigation as 5m3/feddan (4200 m2)/week (T2, T3, and T4) increased the vegetative growth, i.e. length of terminal shoots, No. leaves / terminal shoots & leaf area as well as the fruiting behavior such as fruit set percentage, No. fruits per tree & the tree production (kg/tree) and improved the fruit characteristics not only the fruit physical parameters but also the chemical properties in comparing with the untreated trees. During the two seasons, spraying NH4NO3 2% at 1st week of November plus start normal irrigation program at 1st week of January after 12 weeks of adapted irrigation as 5m3/feddan/week (T4) is recommended since; it is the only treatment with the superiority effect on studied parameters.

Volume estimation models for avocado fruit.

Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is an important horticultural crop and proved to be a very profitable commercial crop for both local consumption and export. The physical characteristics of fruits are an important factor to determine the quality of fruit produced. On the other hand, estimation of fruit volume is time-consuming and impractical under field conditions. Thus, this study was conducted to devise cultivar-specific and generalized allometric models to analytically and non-destructively determine avocado fruit volume of five wildly distributed avocado cultivars. A significant relationship (P ≤ 0.01) was found between fruit diameter, length, and volume of each cultivar. Our best models (VM2 -for cultivar specific, and VM7-generalized model) has passed all the rigorous cross-validation and performance statistics tests and explained 94%, 92%, 87%, 93%, 94% and 93% of the variations in fruit volume of Ettinger, Fuerte, Hass, Nabal, Reed, and Multiple cultivars, respectively. Our finding revealed that in situations where measurements of volume would be inconvenient, or time-consuming, a reliable volume and yield estimation can be obtained using site- and cultivar-specific allometric equations. Allometric models could also play a significant role in improving data availability on avocado fruit physical appearance which is critical to assess the quality and taste of fresh products influencing the purchase decision of customers. Moreover, such information can also be used as a ripeness index to predict optimum harvest time important for planned marketing. More importantly, the models might assist horticulturists, agronomists, and physiologists to conduct further study on avocado production and productivity through agroforestry landuse system across Ethiopia.

Development Changes in the Physicochemical Composition and Mineral Profile of Red-Fleshed Dragon Fruit Grown under Semi-Arid Conditions

Red-fleshed dragon fruit offers an array of bioactive compounds. Its cultivation is gaining momentum in India, including in arid and semi-arid conditions. Among various factors, the fruit developmental stages and climatic conditions of locations greatly influence the biosynthesis and actual contents of different bioactive compounds and mineral contents of the fruit. The changes in physical attributes, and bioactive and mineral content in red-fleshed dragon fruit grown in semi-arid conditions in India were assessed and quantified at six developmental stages. Significant changes occurred in the physical attributes of the fruit and the bioactive compounds and mineral content during the fruit maturation stages of the red-fleshed dragon fruit. The fruit physical characteristics, such as fruit size, fruit and pulp weight gain, peel thickness, and fruit firmness, along with eating quality parameters, such as soluble solids, sugars, acidity and soluble proteins, were observed at optimum at 35 days after anthesis (DAA). The decrease in total phenolics (29.96%), total flavonoids (41.06%), and vitamin C (75.3%) occurred throughout the fruit development stages, whereas the content of betalains, which was detected initially at 25 DAA, increased (48.6%) with the progression of the fruit development stages. However, the antioxidant capacity and free radical scavenging activity demonstrated variable trends throughout the fruit maturation period. There was an increasing trend in all the minerals up to 35 days, followed by a slight decrease, except for phosphorus content, which increased until the last stage of evaluation. The colour characteristics, in conjunction with the bioactive and antioxidant potential determined in the present study, suggest that red-fleshed dragon fruit can be harvested at 35 DAA for long-distance transportation, and from 35 to 40 DAA for local marketing.

Physical-mechanical characterization of coffee fruits Coffea arabica L. var. Castillo classified by a colorimetry approach

Colombian coffee is internationally recognized for its quality and flavor, reflected in its natural acidity, medium body, and intense aroma. These features require predominately harvesting ripe fruits (only 2% of unripe fruits are allowed) which is carried out manually by several topographic restrictions. To overcome this difficulty, the study of coffee fruit physical and mechanical characteristics is essential for designing and improving machinery and equipment for selective coffee harvesting. In this paper, the physical and mechanical properties of Coffea arabica L. var. Castillo fruits have been experimentally measured and classified by its ripening. Applying a colorimetry methodology based on CIELab color space, 211 fruits have been categorized into four ripening states. Physical properties measurements include mass, volume, density, geometry, pH, and mechanical properties as detachment loads and firmness indexes. Mainly all properties showed a dependence degree on the ripening stage of the fruits. The measurements presented in this work are essential to use in simulations tools which allows to understand several aspects related with selective coffee harvesting.

Economic and quality study of purple passion fruit grafted on a fusarium wilt tolerant rootstock

The aim of this work was to determine the influence of Passiflora maliformis as rootstock on the physical characteristics of fruits, productivity, and profitability of the purple passion fruit. The study was carried out from May 2020 to April 2021, under a 3 × 3 factorial design distributed in blocks with three repetitions. The treatments were represented by three scions of elite accessions of purple passion fruit PutEdu01, TesEdu11 and a commercial scion, and three rootstocks, ungrafted, autografted and P. maliformis. Conventional cleft grafting was used. The fresh fruit mass, the shell weight, the pulp weight, the fruit diameter, the polar diameter of the fruit, the percentage of pulp and skin were evaluated. As economic variables, production costs, income, and their cost benefit ratio were determined. The quality of the fruits derived from the grafted accessions in P. maliformis was within the fresh marketing standards, presenting a pulp yield of more than 50%. The combinations of the purple passion fruit TesEdu11 accessions and the commercial one grafted onto P. maliformis as the elite accession PutEdu01 without grafting were financially attractive because they presented a cost-benefit ratio greater than one at two years after starting the crop.

Avaliação da produção e qualidade de frutos de uma cultivar de maracujazeiro-amarelo infectada com o cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus

Abstract This work aimed to characterize and evaluate the correlations between fruit and pulp characteristics of a commercial cultivar of yellow passion fruit (FB 200) infected with the cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV). The observation of natural infection occurred after the beginning of flowering. The parameters weight, length, and diameter, peel thickness, pulp yield, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, and the soluble solids content/titratable acidity ratio were evaluated. A completely randomized block design composed of 20 plots with five replications was adopted. The data were subject to descriptive analyses and Pearson’s Correlation at 1 and 5% of significance. CABMV has decreased the quality and physical characteristics of fruits, but they still could be destined for juice processing industries. Many parameters of the fruits presented significant positive correlations.