Apple Quality Research Articles

‘루비에스’ 사과의 저온저장 중 과실품질 유지를 위한 1-methylcyclopropene 처리 효과

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) concentrations on fruit quality of small-sized RubyS apples during cold storage. After harvesting, the fruits were treated with 1-MCP at 0.5 or 1 μL/L concentrations and, subsequently, stored at 0°C for 6 months. After 6 months, the flesh firmness of untreated fruits, which was 85.4 N at harvest, had gradually decreased to 46.5 N; however, that of 1-MCP-treated fruits was maintained at 59.1 and 59.5 N. Titratable acidity (TA) of untreated fruits had also decreased from 0.42 to 0.24%, whereas that of 1-MCP-treated fruits was maintained at 0.26 and 0.27%. Soluble solids content (SSC) did not differ in all fruits. However, the 1-MCP-treated fruits had lower levels of SSC/TA ratio than untreated fruits. Moreover, after 6 months, the ethylene production had increased to 47.0 μL/kg/h in the untreated fruits, whereas 1-MCP blocked the ethylene production at 1.4 and 1.7 μL/kg/h. The weight loss and peel color variables remained unaffected by 1-MCP treatments. Thus, these results indicated that, for RubyS apples, the storability was only 2 months at 0°C without treatment, which can be extended to 6 months with 1-MCP treatments. The application of 1-MCP at 0.5 μL/L concentration is effectively and economically sufficient to maintain the quality of RubyS apples.

Design of a modified atmosphere packaging for apple using concept of mathematical modeling for phytochemicals stability and shelf‐life enhancement

AbstractIn the present investigation, experiments were conducted to model the rate of apple respiration at various temperatures using enzyme kinetics approach and Arrhenius equation. Thereafter, a governing mathematical model based on the mass balance concept was developed to design a modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) system for apple. The respiration rate model and developed equation employed in the MAP design process was verified and proved to be suitable, as indicated by moduli (E < 10%). Thereafter, a combination of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film having thickness of 30 and 50 μm, respectively was prepared by tailoring method to match the targeted gas permeability requirement of apple. The MAP system for apple was developed by packaging 1 kg of apple in the prepared film and the packages were stored at 2°C for further quality evaluation. The quality attributes of apple in terms of physico‐chemical properties, individual phenolic compounds, total phenolic content and total antioxidant capacity were assessed at a regular interval of time during storage. Based on physiological weight loss (<10%) and retention of other physicochemical and phytochemical quality till the end of storage period, the shelf life of apple was recorded as 180 days.Practical applicationThe lack of adequate cold storage systems in the supply chain, improper handling and storage facilities for fresh fruits including apple, is the leading source of post‐harvest loss of perishable commodity. The modeling of respiration rate at transient state and design of perm selective modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) system could be an alternative technology which can facilitate the shelf life enhancement of apple during handling and distribution. The uniqueness in the study involves the effect of MAP system on phytochemical compounds of whole apple during storage which has been rarely reported so far. The retention of overall quality of stored apple has proved that MAP is a promising technique for quality retention and achieving better market value.

Precision Nitrogen Fertilizer and Irrigation Management for Apple Cultivation Based on a Multilevel Comprehensive Evaluation Method of Yield, Quality, and Profit Indices

Precise and efficient fertilizer and irrigation management is critical for apple production in the Loess Plateau, China. In this study, we established three levels of nitrogen application and irrigation in nine treatments in an apple orchard based on a completely randomized block design. Then, we analyzed different apple indicator responses to nitrogen and irrigation and their related interactions. More importantly, we used the multilevel comprehensive fuzzy evaluation value (MFCE) method to combine the weights of all indicators to obtain the comprehensive growth indicators for apples. Finally, we analyzed the effect of nitrogen and irrigation coupling on the comprehensive growth of apples and then determined the optimal interval for nitrogen application and irrigation. The results indicated that an increase in the amount of irrigation was beneficial for apple yield, but excessive nitrogen fertilizer application significantly reduced apple yield. The apple indicators were not sensitive to irrigation and nitrogen application and their related interactions; they were mainly controlled by the apple cultivar. On the other hand, an increase in the amount of nitrogen fertilizer or a reduction in the amount of irrigation could improve apple quality. The results of the comprehensive evaluation showed that the T5 treatment was most beneficial for the comprehensive growth of apples. To obtain the optimal interval for nitrogen application and irrigation more precisely, we used multiple linear regression based on the MFCE values of apples, nitrogen, and irrigation in R language. Nitrogen and irrigation showed a positive effect on the comprehensive growth of apples when the irrigation amount was low. However, nitrogen application and irrigation had a negative effect on the comprehensive growth of apples when the irrigation level was high. After optimization, the optimal nitrogen application and irrigation amounts were 170.5–189.5 kg·hm−2 and 38.4–42.7 mm, respectively. We recommend using this irrigation and fertilizer management scheme for apple orchards in China’s Loess Plateau.

Establishment of a multi-position general model for evaluation of watercore and soluble solid content in ‘Fuji’ apples using on-line full-transmittance visible and near infrared spectroscopy

Watercore and soluble solid content (SSC) are important indicators for assessment of the internal quality of apples. Visible and near infrared spectroscopy (Vis-NIRS) has been successfully applied for on-line analysis of internal quality of apples. In practical application, the position of the detected apples is usually uncertain, which limits the effective application of traditional model developed based on the fixed position or the optimal position. This study established a multi-position general model for evaluation of watercore and SSC in ‘Fuji’ apples using on-line Vis-NIRS. First, the full-transmittance spectra of three positions (P1–P3) of each apple were acquired, and subsequently, LS-SVM and PLS-DA models were constructed based on full wavelength data of single and multiple positions for watercore classification, and LS-SVM and PLS models were also constructed based on the same data for the quantitative prediction of SSC. Then, the detection ability of the constructed single position and the multi-position general models for three independent position samples was compared to determine the optimal full wavelength models; Finally, different wavelength selection algorithms including MC-UVE, BOSS, SPA and their combinations were employed to optimize the full wavelength models. Results showed that the multi-position general MC-UVE-SPA-PLS-DA model was the optimal for classification of watercore apples with average accuracy of 95.96 %, and the multi-position general MC-UV-BOSS-LS-SVM model was the optimal for quantitative detection of SSC with RP of 0.856 and RMSEP of 0.723 %. The overall study revealed that the multi-position general model, combined with full-transmittance Vis-NIRS, was a better choice for on-line detection of watercore and SSC in ‘Fuji’ apples.

Effect of Fruit Bagging, Reflective Mulch and Foliar Potassium Spray on Quality of Apple

Effect of Fruit Bagging, Reflective Mulch and Foliar Potassium Spray on Quality of Apple

Effect of soil application of nutrients on growth, yield and quality of apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) cv. silver spur under high density plantation

Effect of soil application of nutrients on growth, yield and quality of apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) cv. silver spur under high density plantation

Prediction of Apple Fruit Quality by Soil Nutrient Content and Artificial Neural Network

The effect of soil nutrient content on fruit yield and fruit quality is very important. To explore the effect of soil nutrients on apple quality we investigated 200 fruit samples from 40 orchards in Feng County, Jiangsu Province. Soil mineral elements and fruit quality were measured. The effect of soil nutrient content on fruit quality was analyzed by artificial neural network (ANN) model. The results showed that the prediction accuracy was highest (R2 = 0.851, 0.847, 0.885, 0.678 and 0.746) in mass per fruit (MPF), hardness (HB), soluble solids concentrations (SSC), titratable acid concentration (TA) and solid-acid ratio (SSC/TA), respectively. The sensitivity analysis of the prediction model showed that soil available P, K, Ca and Mg contents had the greatest impact on the quality of apple fruit. Response surface method (RSM) was performed to determine the optimum range of the available P, K, Ca, and Mg contents in orchards In Feng County, which were 10∼20 mg⋅kg−1, 170∼200 mg⋅kg−1, 1000∼1500 mg⋅kg−1, and 80∼200 mg⋅kg−1, respectively. The research also concluded that improving the content of available P and available Ca in orchard soil was crucial to improve apple fruit quality in Feng County, Jiangsu Province.

Some Processing Steps and Uses of Cashew Apples: A Review

In addition to the cashew nut, which is the main product, the cashew tree also produces the cashew apple which is considered a by-product. The cashew apple has a high nutritional potential. Indeed, it is rich in vitamin C, carotenoids, dietary fibers, vitamins, sugars and mineral elements where are essential for human nutrition. In addition to its nutritional quality, the cashew apple has technological advantages: the edible part of the fruit is between 85% and 100% higher than that of other traditional tropical fruits, and its juicy and sweet flesh is free of seeds or pits. In addition, very large volumes are available. As a result, the development of this fruit represents a considerable economic challenge. This paper first presents the cultivation of cashew trees and the bibliography of the work done on cashew juice. The favorable conditions for cashew tree cultivation and the planting method were presented. Then, the study highlights the work done on the physicochemical characteristics of cashew apples, the effect of the growing area, the variety and the stage of maturity on its characteristics. It also shows the influence of the processing steps on the nutritional value and organoleptic quality of the cashew apple; as well as the methods of clarification, stabilization, concentration and dehydration. Some uses of cashew apple were reviewed: beverage, food, substrate, bioethanol, nutraceutical, food additive and agro materials.

ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF A PRESERVATION METHOD ON THE SELECTED QUALITY DETERMINANTS OF APPLES

Background. Metabolic processes, along with microbial activity, affect the quality of fruit, and con sequently, lead to product spoilage, resulting in waste and an economic loss. This also applies to apples, even though they are stored under refrigerated conditions. Therefore, research on the possibility of using other methods to extend their shelf life is currently being conducted. However, treatments used may, in addition to enhancing durability, affect other aspects of quality, in particular, nutritional value and sensory parameters. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the impact of the preservation method (convec tion drying, freeze drying and freezing) on sensory quality and chemical composition of apples. The chem ical composition assessment involved the determination of the contents of protein, dietary fiber, vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and vitamin C. Differences between preservation methods were analyzed statistically using linear mixed models. To identify the most similar samples subjected to the three preservation methods, a two-dimensional sample map was developed by means of a principal component analysis (PCA). Results and conclusions. Based on the research results, it can be concluded that the most preferred method of preservation was freezing. Both convection and freeze-drying had a negative impact on the content of vitamins, dietary fiber and protein in apples, with greater changes in the levels of dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B1 and odor being noted in the case of freeze-dried samples. The results of the PCA analysis confirmed that frozen fruit had the closest nutritional value to fresh apples and the highest sensory quality.

Watercore and fruit quality of apple cultivars as influenced by harvesting time and calcium sprays

Watercore and fruit quality of apple cultivars as influenced by harvesting time and calcium sprays

Advance in application of rapid non-destructive testing technology in the detection of apple mold heart disease

Apples are rich in vitamins and dietary fiber, and are one of the essential fruits and vegetables in People’s Daily diet. China is a big apple consumer, and with the improvement of people’s pursuit of quality of life and the improvement of nutrition and health requirements, the demand for high-quality apples has increased year by year. Apple mold heart disease is one of the main diseases affecting apple quality, this disease can not be identified from the outside, so the detection is very difficult, and spectral technology, electromagnetic technology and other non-destructive testing technology has accurate, efficient, convenient, non-destructive advantages, can greatly reduce the difficulty of detection of mold heart disease. This paper mainly analyzed the application of non-destructive testing technology in the detection of apple mold heart disease, combined with the current rapid development of AI technology to discuss the future development direction of each technology in the field of apple mold heart disease rapid detection.

Modeling the Relationship between Apple Quality Indices and Air Temperature

Modeling the Relationship between Apple Quality Indices and Air Temperature

基于不同加载速度的苹果果肉TPA力学特性与微观结构分析

In order to enrich the apple quality evaluation system, TPA mechanical tests were carried out on Fuji, Guoguang and Golden delicious apple pulp at 10 loading speeds of 0.01, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 9, 13 and 17mm/s, and the mechanical characteristic parameters of pulp were obtained. The effects of loading speed on pulp hardness, elasticity, cohesiveness, chewiness and resilience were analyzed. The microstructure of pulp of different varieties pulp was observed by laser confocal microscope. Based on the Voronoi model of pulp tissue structure, the compression test was simulated to construct the relationship between microstructure and mechanical properties. The results showed that the loading speeds had a certain effect on the cohesiveness and chewiness, and had a linear relationship with the cohesiveness of Guoguang variety and the chewiness of Golden delicious. The microstructure of pulp directly determines its mechanical properties, the smaller the roundness of cells and pores, the greater the hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness and resilience. Using Abaqus for compression test simulation, the maximum deviation of stress is 4.3%, which proves that the model is effective and the accuracy is improved. The results provides technical parameters for mechanical system improvements for apple during harvesting, storing and transporting and perfect evaluation system of apple texture.

Farmers’ Perception on Pollinators and Apple Pollination in Western Bhutan

Apples are one of the most important global fruit crops both in terms of yield and economic value, and rely on insect pollination. Pollination has been shown to increase apple production and economic value. The apple production in Bhutan has decreased from 7,051 MT in 2014 to 3,684 MT in 2018. Among the factors identified for the decline of apple quality and yield, pollinator deficits in orchards and inefficient pollination are hypothesised to be less recognised among Bhutanese farmers. Here we surveyed the knowledge and perception of farmers towards apple pollination and pollinators in the three dominant apple-producing districts of Bhutan: Thimphu, Paro, and Haa. One hundred and five farmers (35 from each district) were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. When asked about the yield trend compared to previous years, 74.3% of the respondents noticed a decrease in yield compared to the year 2019, and 96.2% of the respondents said yield has decreased over the last five years. Sixty percent of the farmers were unaware of apple pollination and the importance of pol-linators. The farmers could not differentiate between different pollinator species, with honeybees be-ing the only pollinator known to the farmers. Education and years of working experience were found to influence farmers’ knowledge about pollinators and apple pollination. This study establishes base-line information of farmers’ knowledge in Bhutan, which will be useful to improve farm management practices that will benefit apple quality and productivity, as well as pollinator conservation.

Physiological and transcriptome analyses of the effects of excessive water deficit on malic acid accumulation in apple.

Acidity is a determinant of the organoleptic quality of apple, whereas its regulatory mechanism under water stress remains obscure. Fruit from apple 'Yanfu 3' of Fuji trees grown under normal water irrigation (CK), excessive water deficit treatment (DRT) and excessive water irrigation treatment (WAT) were sampled at 85, 100, 115, 130, 145, 160 and 175days after full bloom designated stages S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6 and S7, respectively. DRT treatment reduced the individual fruit weight and fruit moisture content, and increased fruit firmness. The malate content of DRT treatment was higher than that of CK and WAT from stages S1 to S7. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of the transcriptome at stages S4, S6 and S7 indicated that malate anabolism was associated with cysteine and methionine, auxin signaling, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate and pyruvate metabolism. Overexpression of MdPEPC4 increased the malate content in apple calli induced by 4% PEG. Our study provides novel insights into the effects of water stress on the molecular mechanism underlying apple fruit acidity.

Late Shelf Life Saturation of Golden Delicious Apple Parameters: TSS, Weight, and Colorimetry

This work aims to estimate the shelf life of Golden Delicious apple fruit stored at room temperature by determining the changing trend in color every week using a non-destructive measurement method. Moreover, the study will measure the changes in weight loss (Δm) and the total soluble solids (TSS) contained in the apple. The research focuses on the last stage of ripening and the effect of shelf life affecting consumer behavior; therefore, the examined fruits were picked at the end of the season and were stored at an ambient temperature and in controlled laboratory conditions for six weeks, at 24 °C under 60% RH relative. Color measurements were performed with a portable color sensor, which provided a simple and effective examination method in the case of an appropriate number of fruit samples. The findings showed a significant increase in TSS and weight loss over time. Color varying (ΔE) and chroma (C*) parameters increased with prolonged storage duration, meaning that the color of the apples became darker and more color-saturated at the end of storage. While weight loss and TSS follow a linear tendency in the given storage period, the color changes in deteriorating fruits were characterized by exponential asymptotic regression. It was found that although the moisture content reaches its limit value during the drying process of apples, the saturation of color coordinates allows for determination of the limit parameters of consumption in the linear stage of weight loss. The saturation limits (70.97; 12.77; 56.34 CIELAB L*; a*; b*), the dominant color part (b*), and the growth rate of the saturation curves allow an accurate characterization of ripening from the visual aspect, thus determining the limit parameters of shelf life and improving the critical analysis factors affecting the life of fruits after harvest. By assessing color characteristics using a non-destructive technology, customers may quickly evaluate the quality of apples and make better decisions during their purchase.

Intelligent micro flight sensing system for detecting the internal and external quality of apples on the tree

Quality detection of apples on trees is important for predicting apple maturity, harvest time and crop yield. Based on the multispectral sensor and red green blue-depth (RGB-D) camera carried by micro unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), this study designed a close detection system for the determination of the internal and external quality of apples. An RGB-D camera was used to perceive the spatial position of the apple and predict the apple diameter. The multispectral sensor was self-optimized, inexpensive, small and easy to install in the acquisition module for apple soluble solid content (SSC) detection. The coefficient of the correlation between apple size values obtained by automatic and manual measurements of the system is 0.9672. The root mean square error was 2.2624 mm. The apple SSC detection test includes spectrum acquisition experiments under static and dynamic UAV conditions. The results showed that the linear model established by partial least squares regression method performed slightly better than the nonlinear model established by support vector regression method under both conditions. The dynamic modeling results were slightly worse than the static modeling results, but there was little difference between the two sets of modeling results. The correlation coefficient of the prediction set of the model was 0.8568 and the root mean square error was 0.7753 °Brix. Results revealed that the flight sensor system designed in this study has the potential to detect the internal and external quality of apples on trees.

Effects of Slightly Acidic Electrolyzed Water on the Quality of Fresh-Cut Apple.

To investigate the effects of a slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) treatment on the quality of fresh-cut apples during storage, this research used a Box-Behnken design to determine the optimal SAEW treatment conditions. Then, the fresh-cut apple was treated under the optimal condition and subjected to a 13-d storage experiment at 4 °C. For fresh-cut apple treated under the optimal SAEW treatment conditions, the total number of surface colonies was reduced by 2.82 logarithms compared to the control group and the sensory score was 8.73. For the treated fresh-cut apple during storage, the quality of the treated group was significantly greater than the non-treatment group. Thus, the SAEW treatment not only effectively controlled the number of microbes on fresh-cut apple, but also slowed quality deterioration during storage.

The prospects of using apples and pears to obtain biologically active substances

Relevance. Apples and apple juices are healthy food products with a large amount of biologically active substances. The polyphenols contained in them are powerful natural antioxidants. They prevent the development of many chronic heart diseases and have many pharmacological properties. Thus, polyphenols increase the resistance of blood vessels, improve blood circulation, protect elastin and collagen fibers, and serve as fundamental elements supporting skin tissues. Apples contain such practically valuable substances as pectins. At the same time, in fresh apples, protopectin prevails over soluble pectin and makes up 52.3– 97.0% of the total amount.Methods. The objects of the study were the fruits of apple varieties: Voskhod, Talgar Bayterek, Sarkyt and Saya, as well as pear varieties: Bostandyk, Nagima, Sylyk, Zhazdyk. The fruits of apples and pears were harvested from September to mid-October 2021 in Saryagash district, in the farm "Tenge". Experimental data were obtained in the laboratory of the South-Kazakhstan University named after M. Auezov. At the first stage of the study, the quality of apples was determined in accordance with the requirements of GOST R 54697–2011. At the second stage, physico-chemical parameters were determined according to standard methods. The content of soluble solids was determined by the refractometric method using a refractometer, at ambient temperature 20±0.5 °C, The mass fraction of dry substances was determined by the refractive index. The sum of sugars — according to the Bertrand method.Result. Studies have established that the fruits of all studied varieties of apples and pears grown in Kazakhstan, according to organoleptic and physico-chemical indicators, contain high levels of chemicals and phenolic compounds, but the most valuable source of biologically active substances were apples of variety Baiterek and pears of variey Zhazdyk.

New Insights into MdSPS4-Mediated Sucrose Accumulation under Different Nitrogen Levels Revealed by Physiological and Transcriptomic Analysis.

Nitrogen nutrition participates in many physiological processes and understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms of apple responses to nitrogen is very significant for improving apple quality. This study excavated crucial genes that regulates sugar metabolism in response to nitrogen in apples through physiology and transcriptome analysis, so as to lay a theoretical foundation for improving fruit quality. In this paper, the content of sugar and organic acid in apple fruit at different developmental periods under different nitrogen levels (0, 150, 300, and 600 kg·hm-2) were determined. Then, the transcriptomic analysis was performed in 120 days after bloom (DAB) and 150 DAB. The results showed that the fructose and glucose content were the highest at 120 DAB under 600 kg·hm-2 nitrogen level. Meanwhile, different nitrogen treatments decreased malate content in 30 and 60 DAB. RNA-seq analysis revealed a total of 4537 UniGenes were identified as differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under nitrogen treatments. Among these DEGs, 2362 (52.06%) were up-regulated and 2175 (47.94%) were down-regulated. The gene co-expression clusters revealed that most DEGs were significantly annotated in the photosynthesis, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, pyruvate metabolism, carbon metabolism, carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms and plant hormone signal transduction pathways. The key transcription factor genes (ERF, NAC, WRKY, and C2H2 genes) were differentially expressed in apple fruit. Sugar and acid metabolism-related genes (e.g., HXK1, SPS4, SS2, PPC16-2, and MDH2 genes) exhibited significantly up-regulated expression at 120 DAB, whereas they were down-regulated at 150 DAB. Furthermore, the MdSPS4 gene overexpression positively promoted sucrose accumulation in apple callus and fruit. In conclusion, the combinational analysis of transcriptome and the functional validation of the MdSPS4 gene provides new insights into apple responses to different nitrogen levels.