Quantity Of Berries Research Articles

Heavy metal contamination (Cu, Pb, and Cd) of washed and unwashed roadside blackberries (Rubus fruticose L.).

Foraging provides a multitude of individual, social, and environmental benefits. With green spaces decreasing in the United Kingdom, there is an opportunity for roadside verges to become valuable foraging resources; however, there is public concern over the safety of roadside forage. Human ingestion of heavy metal contaminants, such as copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd), originating from traffic activity, induces toxic effects in the body. Therefore, maximum Cu, Pb, and Cd guideline limits for human consumption in small fruits were established. However, studies of heavy metal concentrations in roadside forage and the effects of surface washing on concentrations are limited. This study examined Cu, Pb, and Cd in washed and unwashed wild blackberries (Rubus fruticose L.) along a main road in Kent, UK, and compares the values with maximum guideline limits. In all 44 samples, Cu, Pb and Cd concentrations were well below the maximum guideline limit or daily reference intake (RI) value. Cu and Pb concentrations were below the maximum daily intake in every sample if foragers eat one portion (80 g) of berries a day, but consuming a larger quantity of berries per day (e.g., 1 kg) could lead to an intake above the guideline limit for Cu (1 mg) and Pb (0.1 mg), but not Cd (0.03 mg). Washing did not significantly reduce the concentrations of Cu (p = 0.174) or Cd (p = 0.752) in blackberries, but did significantly reduce the Pb concentration (p < 0.001). However, Pb concentration was below maximum guideline limits for every sample regardless of washing treatment. Thus, wild blackberries collected from the roadside were suitable for human consumption, although the findings are not representative of all foraged berries or road networks. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:2107-2115. © 2024 The Author(s). Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Effects of brassinosteroid (24-epibrassinolide) on yield and quality of grape ("Vitis vinifera" L.) 'Thompson Seedless'

Berry growth ripening process and yield are directly related with nutrition status and phytohormones during fruit growth and development stages. Brassinosteroid (24-epibrassinolide) is one of the plant growth substances that influence different physiological processes including fruit growth and development. In this study, the effect of brassinosteroid (Br) application on the yield and berry quality of 'Thompson Seedless' was investigated in a commercial vineyard, Malayer, Hamedan, Iran. Br solution concentrations of 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 mg·L-1 at five stages (budbreak (S1), prebloom (S2), middle of bloom (S3), post bloom (S4) and veraison (S5) were sprayed. The results showed that the Br application has significant positive effects on bunch morphology and berry quantity and quality. Among levels of Br, the highest yields were related to the application of Br at the rate of 0.6 mg·L-1 in the post bloom and veraison stages, and the lowest was found in the bud break stage. Spraying Br in the post bloom and veraison stages had the greatest effect on berry quality. Also, the highest content of total phenol and antioxidant capacity were obtained with 0.6 mg·L-1 of Br application at veraison stage. In this study, we provided evidence to show that using steroidal plant hormones (Br) may play an essential role in improving the yield and quality of 'Thompson Seedless'.

Morphological Variability of Berberis integerrima from Iran

Barberry is a valuable medicinal plant that belongs to family Berberidaceae. In the current research, phenotypic variations of 34 individuals of wild barberry (Berberis integerrima) were evaluated. Significant phenotypic diversity was detected between the studied accessions based on morphological traits. Significant correlations were found for variables related to seed and berry, so that seed quantity, seed width, seed weight and seed length were positively correlated with berry quantity, berry weight, skin bloom and berry length, respectively. Leaf length was in significant positive correlation with berry shape, berry skin bloom, seed length, and seed weight and in negative correlation with seed quantity. Principal component analysis showed that 77.75 % of the phenotypic variability was explained by all components for the studied individuals. Variables such as seed length, width and weight, berry length and weight, spine length, leaf length, berry quantity, and seed quantity were predominant in the first three components and contributed most of the total variation. The present results have an important implication for characterization, improvement and conservation of barberry germplasm.

Impact of the rust &lt;em&gt;Puccinia linkii&lt;/em&gt; on Highbush Cranberry, &lt;em&gt;Viburnum edule&lt;/em&gt;, near Smithers, British Columbia

The berries of Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum edule) are an important food source for wildlife and for people in rural areas. In 2012 and 2013, many Highbush Cranberry plants in northwestern British Columbia were unusually severely infected by the rust Puccinia linkii, with telia covering up to half of each leaf. Given the ecological importance of the overwintering berries, I studied the impact of the infection on the production and quality of berries in mixed forests near Smithers, British Columbia. Sites where Highbush Cranberry bushes were infected with the rust had significantly more undeveloped berries. Plants from sites with higher levels of infection produced berries with significantly less sugar. Dead leaf tissue was also significantly more prevalent in infected plants. This study provides evidence that Puccinia linkii may stress plants, leading to reduced quality and quantity of berries, especially if the severity of the infection increases with the increasingly moist springs that are projected for the region.

English

Fruit extracts from&nbsp;Solanum esculentum,&nbsp;Solanum macrocarpon&nbsp;L. and&nbsp;Solanum melongena&nbsp;were tested for their milk-clotting potential. The release of substances associated with milk-clotting was highly dependent upon quantity of berries, extraction duration and sodium chloride concentration. The highest milk-clotting activity was obtained after 8 h (for&nbsp;S. esculentum&nbsp;and&nbsp;S. melongena), and 12 h (forS. macrocarpon) of soaking 20 g of fruit in 6% NaCl 4&deg;C. In these conditions, there was a non linear relationship between the milk-clotting time and the amount of fruit extracts from each species. The loss of milk-clotting activity was dramatic after wet-heating of extracts from&nbsp;S. esculentum&nbsp;and&nbsp;S. macrocarpon&nbsp;at 80&deg;C for 10 min and after dry-heating of fruits at 100&deg;C for 24 h. Heat treatment did not significantly affect the clotting activity of extract from&nbsp;S. melongena. Fruit extracts from&nbsp;S. esculentum&nbsp;had the greatest milk-clotting activity followed by extracts from&nbsp;S. macrocarpon&nbsp;and&nbsp;S. melongena. Extracts from&nbsp;S. esculentum&nbsp;and&nbsp;S. macrocarponexhibited a proteolytic activity on the casein. &nbsp; Key words:&nbsp;Milk-clotting activity,&nbsp;S. esculentum,&nbsp;S. macrocarpon,&nbsp;S. melongena, fruit extracts.

Cyclic Population Fluctuations of Herbivores as an Effect of Cyclic Seed Cropping of Plants: The Mast Depression Hypothesis

Three sets of time series on plant seed production and herbivore number were analysed in order to test the proposed mast depression hypothesis, which states that cyclic population fluctuations of herbivores is a result of cyclic seed cropping of plants, because high seed crops, termed masts, are produced at the expense of chemical defence against herbivores. From 1880 to 1916, the annual export of small game, mainly willow grouse Lagopus lagopus, from Oslo was positively correlated with the quantity of berries, mainly bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus and cowberry V. ritis-Idaea, exported in the previous year. In vegarshei, South Norway, the intervals between years of high access of bilberry and cow-berry varied from 3 to 5 yr during 1952 95. All mast years were followed by a year of high microtine population. In South Norway, mast years of Norway spruce Picea abies, which usually shows high flowering intensity in the same years as mountain birch Betula pubescens, occurred with a mean interval of 9.8 yr (range 7 13 yr) during 1930-85. Almost all attacks of autumnal moth Epirrita autumnata on mountain birch were reported after a mast year of forest trees. The synchronised flowering cycles of plants indicate that high seed crops are induced by some climatic conditions. Allocating a large proportion of available resources, including chemical defence compounds, to seed production in some years of advantageous conditions may improve a plant's total life-time reproduction, despite the subsequent risk of serious damage by herbivores.