Snow King Research Articles

"Snow King" Counterattack: Mixue Ice Cream & Tea Brand Marketing Upgrade Strategy

According to relevant research, by 2023, the annual sales of China's milk tea market will exceed 300 billion yuan, showing the huge potential of the milk tea industry. With the expansion of the scale of the milk tea market, the competition is becoming increasingly fierce. Well-known brands such as Hey Tea, Nai Xue's tea have occupied an important share in the market. Faced with the challenge of new tea brands, Mixue Ice Cream & Tea has made a variety of attempts to rejuvenate brands from three aspects: brand positioning, brand symbol and brand communication, and explored the direction of national tea brand construction in the Internet era. The theme of this research is how Mixue Ice Cream & Tea has successfully gone from an old brand that no one knows to a new milk tea brand sales champion. The research results show that the experience marketing of Mixue Ice Cream & Tea is inseparable from the brand's customer choice. The brand can only win the possibility of sustainable development if it grasps the heart of the new consumer force Generation Z. This report takes Mixue Ice Cream & Tea as the research object and uses case analysis to discuss its specific performance in positioning and communication to win the favor of consumers. So it can provide some inspiration and reference for the marketing and communication of similar brands.

Self-incompatibility: a pollination control mechanism in plants

Mode of pollination is very important in plant breeding because it determines the genetic constitution, nature of gene action, ease in pollination control and stability of varieties after release. There are several mechanisms that promote cross pollination, among these self-incompatibility (SI) is of special significance as it is used in hybrid seed production. SI is defined as the prevention of fusion of fertile (functional) male and female gametes of the same plant (Gowers, 1989). SI is a system where self-recognition and rejection is the rule that prevents inbreeding depression. Bateman (1952) classified self-incompatibility based on the interaction between pollen grains and pistil as complementary and oppositional system. Lewis (1954) has classified SI into homomorphic and heteromorphic systems. Homomorphic SI is again subdivided into gametophytic (determined by the genotype of gametes) and sporophytic (determined by the genotype of the plant) systems. Molecular studies after 1980’s revealed that at least two genes within S-locus control the SI, among these one unit function as male and the other as female determinant. In Brassicaceae family, the determinant gene encodes a pollen ligand and its stigmatic receptor kinase and their interaction induces incompatible signaling within the stigma papilla cells. In the Solanaceae, Rosaceae, and Scrophulariaceae, the female determinant is ribonuclease and F-box protein, suggesting the involvement of RNA degradation and protein degradation within the system. In the Papaveraceae, the female determinant induces Ca 2+ dependent signaling network that ultimately results in the death of incompatible pollen (Takayama and Isogai, 2005). Genes controlling the SI is multiallelic in nature and number of alleles varies depending upon the crop. Number of alleles reported are five in Theobroma cacao (Knight and Rogers, 1953), 30 in Brassica campestris (Singh, 2012), 32 alleles in Raphanussativus (Karron et al ., 1989). SI is commercially exploited for the production hybrid seeds. Pusa Hybrid-2, Snow Queen and Snow King hybrids of cauliflower, BRH-5, H-44 of cabbage and CCRP8 to CCRP15 (Minimol et al ., 2015a) of cocoa are some of the examples. Kucera et al . (2006) has compared the quality between SI and male sterility hybrids in cauliflower and it was found that SI hybrids are superior in their performance. Minimol et al . (2015b) emphasized the importance of polyclonal garden in cocoa for production of F 1 hybrid seeds by utilizing the self-incompatibility. Rego and Rego (2013) evaluated the efficiency of three methods of overcoming self-incompatibility in passion fruit and found fruit set of 16.67 and 10 per cent in bud and double pollination, respectively. The main limitations in exploiting SI is the maintenance of inbreds, however, it can be overcome by some temporary methods such as bud pollination, salt sprays and irradiation methods.

Deferring flowering of nobile dendrobium hybrids by holding plants under low temperature after vernalization

Orchids are currently the most valuable potted crop in the United States. To date, no studies focused on making possible the year-round greenhouse production of flowering nobile dendrobium orchids. This experiment was aimed at developing a strategy to defer flowering of nobile dendrobium orchids by holding them under low temperature. Mature Den. Red Emperor ‘Prince’ and Den. Sea Mary ‘Snow King’ were held at 10 °C for various durations (0, 4, 8, 12 or 16 weeks) after vernalization (4 weeks at 10 °C). Plants were forced in a greenhouse after holding. Time to flower, flower differentiation (flowering node percentage, number of aerial shoot and aborted bud) and flower quality (total flower number, flower diameter, flower number per flowering node and flower longevity) were determined. Increase of low temperature holding duration from 0 to 16 weeks extended time to flower up to 3 months and did not affect parameters of flower except producing larger flowers and reducing flower number per flowering node for Den. Red Emperor ‘Prince’. Notably, the flower longevity was not adversely affected. Defoliation was aggravated in Den. Red Emperor ‘Prince’ by longer duration of cooling and was considered a detrimental effect of low temperature holding.

Vernalization Duration and Light Intensity Influence Flowering of Three Hybrid Nobile Dendrobium Cultivars

The flowering time and flower quality of three hybrid Dendrobium nobile cultivars in relation to light intensity during cooling and duration of vernalization were studied in the first experiment. Mature Dendrobium Red Emperor ‘Prince’, Den. Sea Mary ‘Snow King’, and Den. Love Memory ‘Fizz’ plants were vernalized at 10 °C under 300 to 350 μmol·m−2·s−1 photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) (12-h photoperiod) or darkness, each with four cooling durations (2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks). Plants were forced in a greenhouse after vernalization. At least 4 weeks of 10 °C cooling in light was needed for complete flower initiation of Den. Red Emperor ‘Prince’, whereas Den. Sea Mary ‘Snow King’ and Den. Love Memory ‘Fizz’ only needed 2 weeks of 10 °C cooling regardless of light. For all three cultivars, darkness during vernalization slightly delayed flowering and resulted in fewer but larger flowers. Longer cooling duration delayed flowering, decreased flower longevity, and produced more and larger flowers. In a second experiment, Den. Love Memory ‘Fizz’ plants were vernalized at 15 °C for 4 weeks under a 12-h photoperiod and PPF of 0, 50, 100, or 200 μmol·m−2·s−1. Compared with 200 μmol·m−2·s−1, low PPF at 50 or 100 μmol·m−2·s−1 did not affect flowering time or flower qualities; however, darkness delayed flowering and reduced flower qualities except flower diameter.

Effects of Cooling Temperature and Duration on Flowering of the Nobile Dendrobium Orchid

The effects of cooling temperature [constant (10, 13, 15, or 18 °C, or 15, 18, or 21 °C)] and duration (2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 weeks, or 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 weeks) at two separate locations (College Station and Weslaco, TX) on growth and flowering of Dendrobium Sea Mary ‘Snow King’, a Dendrobium nobile Lindl. hybrid, were investigated and the cooling requirement for flowering was quantified. Interactions between temperature and cooling duration were significant on time required to reach anthesis from either the beginning or completion of cooling, average flower number per flowering node, and percentage of nodes with aborted buds. Increasing cooling duration from 2 to 6 or 3 to 7 weeks resulted in less time to reach anthesis after the completion of cooling. However, the increased cooling durations extended the time needed for producing a flowering crop. Plants cooled at a relatively higher temperature among 10, 13, and 15 °C required less time to reach anthesis after the completion of cooling. Plants had more flowering nodes and total flowers when cooled at 10, 13, or 15 °C than at 18 °C in College Station or at 15 or 18 °C than at 21 °C in Weslaco. The results suggest that 3 weeks at 13 °C has saturated the cooling requirement, and 3 weeks at 13 or 15 °C is a recommended cooling treatment that saves production cost without retarding flower development.

Timing of Nutrient Termination and Reapplication for Growth, Flower Initiation, and Flowering of the Nobile Dendrobium Orchid

Hybrids of Dendrobium nobile Lindl. have high potential to become a high-value pot plant, but detailed research to support the development of commercial production protocols was lacking. A 3 × 5 factorial experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of nutrient termination date (1 Aug., 1 Sept., or 1 Oct.) and nutrient reapplication time (at the beginning or in the middle of cooling, immediately after or 2 weeks after the completion of cooling, or no nutrient reapplication) on growth and flower development of Dendrobium Sea Mary ‘Snow King,’ a D. nobile hybrid. Interaction between nutrient termination date and reapplication time on growth and flowering was nonsignificant for all variables measured, and reapplication time had only a minor effect on leaves remaining. Regardless of nutrient reapplication time, delaying nutrient termination date resulted in improved growth and flowering. Nutrient termination on 1 Oct. resulted in taller plants with more nodes, leaves remaining, flowering nodes, and total flowers as well as fewer aborted flowers than an earlier termination date. Nutrient supply until 1 Oct. did not lead to differences in time required for anthesis but extended the time needed to reach full flowering by 1.5 d. The results suggest that flower development benefited more from the nutrients that were accumulated in mature pseudobulbs before nutrient termination rather than from those being taken from the reapplied fertilizers. Only lateral buds protruding 2 mm or more from the pseudobulb surface showed differentiated floral structures when examined histologically. The buds, excised 4 weeks after cooling treatments began, showed that nutrient termination on 1 Aug. resulted in larger flower primordia than those ended on 1 Oct., indicating an earlier or faster flower differentiation with earlier nutrient termination. No aerial shoot formation or reversion of reproductive to vegetative buds arose as a result of either late nutrient termination or resumption of nutrient application.

(94) White-fleshed Peaches and Nectarines for the Southeastern United States

White-fleshed peaches and nectarines are delicacies that have been enjoyed for centuries around the world. They are native to China and were introduced to the United States in the 1800s. Some white-fleshed peaches and nectarines are highly perishable and bruise easily, but are of very high eating quality. These are perhaps best suited for the local roadside market, where they can be sold and consumed more quickly. Others are much firmer at harvest, have a longer shelf life. and are suitable for long-distance transport to wholesale markets. White-fleshed peaches and nectarines may have some acidity or they may be very low acid with high sugar content (°Brix). Some novel flat (peento or donut) types also exist. Proximity to an urban market with a substantial Asian population is advantageous because Asians, in particular, often prefer the low-acid flavor and are willing to pay premium prices for high quality fruits. In our peach and nectarine cultivar evaluation program at Clemson University, we are currently evaluating 70 cultivars and advanced selections at four different locations in South Carolina. Several of these have been evaluated since 2000 and the “top performers” over the last six seasons by ripening date (earliest to latest) include the following: `Sugar May', `Scarletpearl', `Snowbrite', `Southernpearl', `White Lady', `Sugar Lady', `Summer Sweet', `Sugar Giant', `Stark's Summer Pearl', `Snow King', and `Snow Giant'. In general, most of the white nectarines and the flat/donut peaches and nectarines have serious problems with insect damage and brown rot. Complete details of our peach and nectarine (yellow- and white-flesh) evaluation work in South Carolina since 2000 will be noted by referring to my peach website (http://www.clemson.edu/hort/Peach/index.php).

SHORT‐TERM CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE STORAGE FOR STORAGE‐LIFE EXTENSION OF WHITE‐FLESHED PEACHES AND NECTARINES1

Abstract Response of white‐fleshed peaches (‘Sugar Lady’, ‘Snow Giant’, ‘White Lady’and ‘Snow King’) and nectarines (‘Arctic Queen’and ‘Arctic Rose’) to controlled‐atmosphere (CA) storage is cultivar dependent. Samples of fruit of these six cultivars were collected just prior to commercial harvest and held in either regular‐atmosphere (RA) storage at 1C or controlled‐atmosphere (CA) storage at 2% O2 and 6, 12 or 18% CO2, all at 1C. Four of the six cultivars (‘Snow Giant’, ‘White Lady’, ‘Snow King’and ‘Arctic Queen’) displayed excessive internal browning and poor flesh color after only 30 days of storage and should not be considered for long storage (+30 days). While ‘Sugar Lady’and ‘Arctic Rose’performed better and are possible candidates for CA storage, they should not be stored more than 45 days after harvest. The value of CA storage to extend the marketing of white‐fleshed peaches and nectarines is questionable at best. If CA storage is to be used for storage‐life extension of white‐fleshed peaches and nectarines, O2 level should be maintained at 2% or less and CO2 level maintained at 12% or higher.

HPLC-DAD-ESIMS analysis of phenolic compounds in nectarines, peaches, and plums.

The phenolic compounds of 25 peach, nectarine, and plum cultivars were studied and quantified by HPLC-DAD-ESIMS. Hydroxycinnamates, procyanidins, flavonols, and anthocyanins were detected and quantified. White and yellow flesh nectarines and peaches, and yellow and red plums, were analyzed at two different maturity stages with consideration of both peel and flesh tissues. HPLC-MS analyses allowed the identification of procyanidin dimers of the B- and A-types, as well as the presence of procyanidin trimers in plums. As a general rule, the peel tissues contained higher amounts of phenolics, and anthocyanins and flavonols were almost exclusively located in this tissue. No clear differences in the phenolic content of nectarines and peaches were detected or between white flesh and yellow flesh cultivars. There was no clear trend in phenolic content with ripening of the different cultivars. Some cultivars, however, had a very high phenolic content. For example, the white flesh nectarine cultivar Brite Pearl (350-460 mg/kg hydroxycinnamates and 430-550 mg/kg procyanidins in flesh) and the yellow flesh cv. Red Jim (180-190 mg/kg hydroxycinnamates and 210-330 mg/kg procyanidins in flesh), contained 10 times more phenolics than cultivars such as Fire Pearl (38-50 mg/kg hydroxycinnamates and 23-30 mg/kg procyanidins in flesh). Among white flesh peaches, cultivars Snow King (300-320 mg/kg hydroxycinnamates and 660-695 mg/kg procyanidins in flesh) and Snow Giant (125-130 mg/kg hydroxycinnamates and 520-540 mg/kg procyanidins in flesh) showed the highest content. The plum cultivars Black Beaut and Angeleno were especially rich in phenolics.

Controlled Atmosphere Storage and Aminoethoxyvinylglycine Postharvest Dip Delay Post Cold Storage Softening of `Snow King' Peach

`Snow King' peaches (Prunus persica) harvested at commercial maturity were subjected to different carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) atmosphere combinations for a 2-week simulated transportation [0 °C (32 °F)] period after 1 week of cold storage in air (0 °C). In 1998, air or 5%, 10%, 15%, or 20% CO2 combined with 3% or 6% O2 were used during shipment. The trial was repeated in 1999, but for this year half of the fruit were treated with a 50 mg·L-1 (ppm) aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) postharvest dip before storage and simulated shipment. In addition, O2 levels during simulated shipment were reduced to 1.5% and 3%. At harvest and after the 2-week simulated shipment, fruit flesh firmness, soluble solids concentration (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), and chilling injury (CI) were evaluated. For both years, there were no significant differences in quality attributes among the different treatments after the simulated shipment period. SSC and TA did not change during 5 days postshipment ripening at 20 °C (68 °F). In 1998 all treatments softened rapidly during the postshipment ripening at 20 °C, and were ready to eat [13 N (1 N = 0.225 lb force)] after 3 days. In 1999, both the high CO2 atmospheres during shipment and the AVG postharvest dip slowed the rate of softening during subsequent ripening at 20 °C. With respect to fruit softening, there was significant interaction between storage atmosphere and AVG treatment. AVG-treated fruit shipped under a 20% CO2 + 3% O2 atmosphere did not soften to the transfer point (firmness = 27 N) within our 5-day ripening period, while fruit not treated with AVG and shipped under the same atmosphere softened to the transfer point in 3 days. Control fruit (no AVG + air shipment) softened to the transfer point in 2 days. Our previous work found that when white flesh peaches soften to less than 27 N firmness they become very susceptible to impact bruise injury during retail distribution. We call this critical level of fruit flesh firmness the transfer point. Symptoms of CI, low O2, or high CO2 injury were not observed in any treatment in either year.

James T. Monk: The Snow King of the Wasatch

James T. Monk: The Snow King of the Wasatch