Sweet Types Research Articles

In situ characterization of tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.) fruit and spotting sweet tamarind types in Palakkad gap of Kerala

AbstractKerala, a humid tropical southern state, is the third largest producer of Tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.) in India. This tree spice is an important livelihood option for the rural society, especially in Palakkad district which is the lead producer of tamarind in the state with a few accepted primitive cultivars, viz. ‘valanpuli’, ‘madhurapuli’ and ‘thenpuli’. A survey was conducted to identify the fruit variability and document the sweet tamarind types of Palakkad. This study revealed the variability and weight of 30 fruits was seen to be the most indicative variable of tamarind in Kerala. The pod length varied from 5.28 to 23.41 cm and fruit weight from 4.83 to 43.40 g. Hierarchical clustering on principal component analysis resulted in six clusters. The clusters I, IV and V represented collections with fruit weight more than 20 g. Box plot diagrams revealed the high real pulp value in sample KTJ 162 (9.57) and high fruit length in KTJ 44 (21.68 cm). Among 113 collections, 18 samples were collected as perceived sweet types based on local enquiry. In the scatter plot between total soluble solids and ratio between total soluble solids and total titrable acidity, two samples were spotted as sweet types with acidity below 8%. Further molecular characterization and systematic crop improvement programmes are required for conserving the eroding gene pool of tamarind in Kerala and to develop sweet types for commercial production.

Genome-wide screening of lectin putative genes from Sorghum bicolor L., distribution in QTLs and a probable implications of lectins in abiotic stress tolerance

BackgroundSorghum bicolor is one of the most important crops worldwide with the potential to provide resilience when other economic staples might fail against the continuous environmental changes. Many physiological, developmental and tolerance traits in plants are either controlled or influenced by lectins; carbohydrate binding proteins. Hence, we aimed at providing a comprehensive in silico account on sorghum’s lectins and study their possible implication on various desired agronomical traits.ResultsWe have searched sorghum’s genome from grain and sweet types for lectins putative genes that encode proteins with domains capable of differentially binding carbohydrate moieties and trigger various physiological responses. Of the 12 known plant lectin families, 8 were identified regarding their domain architectures, evolutionary relationships, physiochemical characteristics, and gene expansion mechanisms, and they were thoroughly addressed. Variations between grain and sweet sorghum lectin homologs in term of the presence/absence of certain other joint domains like dirigent and nucleotide-binding adaptor shared by APAF-1, R-proteins, and CED-4 (NB-ARC) indicate a possible neofunctionalization. Lectin sequences were found to be preferentially overrepresented in certain quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to various traits under several subcategories such as cold, drought, salinity, panicle/grain composition, and leaf morphology. The co-localization and distribution of lectins among multiple QTLs provide insights into the pleiotropic effects that could be played by one lectin gene in numerous traits.ConclusionOur study offers a first-time inclusive details on sorghum lectins and their possible role in conferring tolerance against abiotic stresses and other economically important traits that can be informative for future functional analysis and breeding studies.

Screening for Cold Tolerance during Germination within Sweet and Fiber Sorghums [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] for Energy Biomass

Within the project “BIOSEA” funded by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, a preliminary laboratory test was conducted to assess the variability for cold tolerance during germination in 30 cultivars of biomass sorghum, among fiber and sweet types. Seed germination (%) and mean germination time (MGT) were examined at seven constant temperatures (from 8 °C to 35 °C) and base temperature (Tb) and thermal time (θT) for 50% germination were calculated. A wide genetic diversity in the germination response of sorghum was ascertained at 8 °C (CV 45%) and 10 °C (CV 25.4%). At 8 °C, in cultivars of ‘Padana 4’, ‘PR811F’, ‘PSE24213’, ‘PR849’ and ‘Zerberus’, seed germination exceeded 80%. Seeds of ‘Zerberus’ were also the fastest, requiring less than 13 days for final germination at this low temperature. Great differences were found in Tb and θT among cultivars. Tb varied between 7.44 °C (‘PR811F’) and 13.48 °C (‘Nectar’). Thermal time (θT) was, on average, 24.09 °Cd−1, and ranged between 16.62 (‘Nectar’) and 33.42 °Cd−1 (‘PSE24213’). The best combination of the two germination parameters (i.e., low Tb and θT) corresponded to ‘Zerberus’, ‘Sucrosorgo 506’, ‘Jumbo’ and ‘PR811F’. Accordingly, these cultivars are more tolerant to cold stress during germination and, thus, more adapt to early spring sowings in Mediterranean areas (March-April). Cultivars ‘PR811F’ (fiber type) and ‘Sucrosorgo 506’ (sweet type) also combine high cold tolerance with good productivity in terms of final dry biomass, as assessed in open-field conditions (late spring sowing). The genetic variation in the germination response to a low temperature is useful for the identification of genotypes of sorghum suitable to early sowings in semi-arid areas. Selection within existing cultivars for cold tolerance during germination may also contribute to the expansion of biomass sorghum into cooler cultivation areas, such as those of Northern Europe, which are less suitable to this warm season crop.

Evaluation of Cassava (<i>Manihot esculenta</i> Crantz) Genotypes for Total Cyanide Content, Storage Tuber and Starch Yield in South Western Ethiopia

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is one of the main food crops that significantly contribute to food security and poverty alleviation in South and Southwest Ethiopia. Cyanide present in cassava roots poses a health challenge in the use of cassava for food. It is therefore important to identify the sweet and bitter types for food and industry. In this study, 11 farmers preferred genotypes were assessed for storage tuber yield, cyanide content and starch contents at Jimma, Metu and Tepi during 2015-2017 cropping seasons. From the genotypes analyzed, AAGT-108 (128.35 mg/kg) and AAGT-189 (118.5 mg/kg) are identified for bitter type (high HCN content). Based on storage tuber yield, genotype AAGT-108, AAGT-189 and AAGT 192 produced the highest tuber yield in all tested locations. The starch content varies from 5.11 (Qulle at Metu) to 18.40 (AAGT-108 at Tepi). Similarly, genotypes AAGT-108, AAGT-189 and AAGT-192 are the best materials at Jimma as compared to others and gave the mean starch content of 15.22, 16.98 and 16.61%, respectively. Based on the overall result of hydrogen cyanide and starch contents, genotype AAGT-108 and AAGT-189 are recommended for bitter type (high HCN content). On contrary, the rest of genotypes have sweet type due to low hydrogen cyanide content below 100 mg/kg and are recommended for human consumption.

Phylogenetic Origin of Primary and Secondary Metabolic Pathway Genes Revealed by C. maxima and C. reticulata Diagnostic SNPs.

Modern cultivated Citrus species and varieties result from interspecific hybridization between four ancestral taxa. Among them, Citrus maxima and Citrus reticulata, closely associated with the pummelo and mandarin horticultural groups, respectively, were particularly important as the progenitors of sour and sweet oranges (Citrus aurantium and Citrus sinensis), grapefruits (Citrus paradisi), and hybrid types resulting from modern breeding programs (tangors, tangelos, and orangelos). The differentiation between the four ancestral taxa and the phylogenomic structure of modern varieties widely drive the phenotypic diversity’s organization. In particular, strong phenotypic differences exist in the coloration and sweetness and represent important criteria for breeders. In this context, focusing on the genes of the sugar, carotenoid, and chlorophyll biosynthesis pathways, the aim of this work was to develop a set of diagnostic single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers to distinguish the ancestral haplotypes of C. maxima and C. reticulata and to provide information at the intraspecific diversity level (within C. reticulata or C. maxima). In silico analysis allowed the identification of 3,347 SNPs from selected genes. Among them, 1,024 were detected as potential differentiation markers between C. reticulata and C. maxima. A total of 115 SNPs were successfully developed using a competitive PCR technology. Their transferability among all Citrus species and the true citrus genera was very good, with only 0.87% of missing data. The ancestral alleles of the SNPs were identified, and we validated the usefulness of the developed markers for tracing the ancestral haplotype in large germplasm collections and sexually recombined progeny issued from the C. reticulata/C. maxima admixture gene pool. These markers will pave the way for targeted association studies based on ancestral haplotypes.

Assessment of Stalk Properties to Predict Juice Yield in Sorghum

Sweet sorghum is an outstanding feedstock choice for bioethanol production, but the gap between theoretical and commercial ethanol yields must be reduced to improve economic viability. Extractable juice yield is a primary limiting factor for higher ethanol yield, but current phenotyping techniques to measure juice yield in sorghum can be laborious. Therefore, alternative approaches to measuring juice yield during selection are needed. The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationship between stalk-related traits and juice yield and to assess the ability to predict juice yield using agronomic traits and stalk properties across and within a diverse set of sorghum ideotypes (photoinsensitive, photosensitive, biomass, grain, and sweet types). Stalk weight, stalk volume, stalk diameter, and plant height had significantly strong associations with juice yield, which were consistent across different sorghum ideotypes. The direct and indirect effects of multiple predictive traits on juice yield varied greatly with the distinct sorghum subsets. However, equation modeling demonstrated that juice yield is satisfactorily predicted by jointly assessing stalk weight and stalk moisture. Moreover, alternative prediction models involving distinct combinations of agronomic and stalk-related traits had similarly good prediction accuracy. Altogether, this suggests that several prediction models can be used to accelerate phenotyping for juice yield, which will improve the selection process. Overall, the results indicate that increasing sorghum juice yield via indirect selection is possible, but the choice of prediction model depends on the ideotypes and resources available in a breeding program.

Polyphenols content and antioxidant activity of paprika and pepper spices

Paprika spices (Capsicium annuum) and black pepper spices (Piper nigrum) are very popular seasonings for culinary and industrial utilization due to the change of sensory quality (taste, aroma, color) of foods and meals with their addition; their health promoting properties; and also, relevant antioxidant activity. Polyphenols are often responsible for the antioxidant capacity of plant products therefore in our study the content of polyphenols (TP) and antioxidant activity (TAA) were assessed in two common culinary spices - paprika spices (12, ground powder spices) and pepper spices (20, unground and ground, black, green, white and colored spices) of Czech, Austrian, and Slovak producers. These parameters were determined using spectrometric method, for total polyphenols method with Folin-Ciocaulteu reagent; the antioxidant activity (TAA) of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of spices was measured by DPPH method with IC50 evaluation. For paprika the total polyphenol content ranged from 14.67 to 28.78 mg GAE.g-1. However, there is only weak connection between the pungency of the spices and the polyphenolic amount, the hotter samples of paprika spices have slightly higher values of TP than sweet types. Also, more pungent paprika products showed a higher potency in scavenging of DPPH free radical than sweeter ones; and ethanolic extracts had slightly higher TAA values (8.73 to 16.17 mg AAE.g-1) than aqueous spice extracts (4.45 to 16.24 mg AAE.g-1). Phenolic amount for pepper spices was assessed in the range of 12.03 to 22.88 mg GAE.g-1. Generally, paprika spices contained more polyphenols than pepper spices. The values of TAA of pepper spices were in the range from 7.07 to 15.81 mg AAE.g-1 for aqueous extracts and from 8.25 to 15.93 mg AAE.g-1 for ethanolic extracts respectively. The highest TAA values were observed for white ground pepper and unground black pepper spices. Unground black pepper samples had higher TAA than ground black pepper. The extent of antioxidant activity of paprika and pepper spices was quite similar. The total phenolics contents in spices were correlated to antioxidant activity only slightly.

Assessment of heavy metals in Averrhoa bilimbi and A. carambola fruit samples at two developmental stages.

Though the fruits of Averrhoa bilimbi and A. carambola are economically and medicinally important, they remain underutilized. The present study reports heavy metal quantitation in the fruit samples of A. bilimbi and A. carambola (Oxalidaceae), collected at two stages of maturity. Heavy metals are known to interfere with the functioning of vital cellular components. Although toxic, some elements are considered essential for human health, in trace quantities. Heavy metals such as Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Pb, and Cd were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The samples under investigation included, A. bilimbi unripe (BU) and ripe (BR), A. carambola sour unripe (CSU) and ripe (CSR), and A. carambola sweet unripe (CTU) and ripe (CTR). Heavy metal analysis showed that relatively higher level of heavy metals was present in BR samples compared to the rest of the samples. The highest amount of As and Se were recorded in BU samples while Mn content was highest in CSU samples and Co in CSR. Least amounts of Cr, Zn, Se, Cd, and Pb were noted in CTU while, Mn, Cu, and As were least in CTR. Thus, the sweet types of A. carambola (CTU, CTR) had comparatively lower heavy metal content. There appears to be no reason for concern since different fruit samples of Averrhoa studied presently showed the presence of various heavy metals in trace quantities.

Relationships between volatile compounds and sensory characteristics in virgin olive oil by analytical and chemometric approaches

The volatile fraction of virgin olive oil is characterised by low molecular weight compounds that vaporise at room temperature. In order to obtain an aroma profile similar to natural olfactory perception, the composition of the volatile compounds was determined by applying dynamic headspace gas chromatography, performed at room temperature, with a cryogenic trap directly connected to a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer system. Samples were also evaluated according to European Union and International Olive Council official methods for sensory evaluation. In this paper, the composition of the volatile fraction of 25 extra virgin olive oils from different regions of Italy was analysed and some preliminary considerations on relationships between chemical composition of volatile fraction and sensory characteristics are reported. Forty-two compounds were identified by means of the particular analytical technique used. All the analysed samples, classified as extra virgin by the panel test, never present peaks whose magnitude is important enough in defected oils. The study was focused on the evaluation of volatile compounds responsible for the positive impact on olive odour properties ('green-fruity' and 'sweet') and olfactory perception. Chemometric evaluation of data, obtained through headspace analysis and the panel test evaluation, showed a correlation between chemical compounds and sensory properties. On the basis of the results, the positive attributes of virgin olive oil are divided into two separated groups: sweet types or green types. Sixteen volatile compounds with known positive impact on odour properties were extracted and identified. In particular, eight compounds seem correlated with sweet properties whereas the green sensation appears to be correlated with eight other different substances. The content of the compounds at six carbon atoms proves to be very important in defining positive attributes of extra virgin olive oils and sensory evaluation.

Impacts of the diversity of traditional uses and potential economic value on food tree species conservation status: case study of African bush mango trees (Irvingiaceae) in the Dahomey Gap (West Africa)

Background and aims – Bitter and sweet African bush mango trees belong to the family Irvingiaceae and produce valuable non-timber forest products in humid lowland areas of West and Central Africa. The bitter and sweet types are treated as distinct taxa at the variety or species level. They have not been studied in the western part of their distribution range, and many aspects of their large-scale utilization remain unknown. In this study, we link differences in socio-cultural groups to the agroforestry status of bush mango trees in order to identify the key factors influencing their abundance and conservation in the study area. Methods – First, we gathered uses and local management strategies from nine main socio-cultural areas in Benin and Togo, part of the Dahomey Gap. Second, occurrence data were obtained throughout the Gap and imported into DIVA-GIS and MATLAB to calculate the spatial pattern of the density and analyse its structure and variation relative to three factors: the country, the phytogeographical zone and the dominant soil category. Third, agroforestry system characteristics and farmers' social status relative to 841 trees were used in a multinomial logistic regression to identify anthropogenic factors driving the intensive cultivation of bush mango trees. Finally, the impact of socio-cultural activities on extent and density of bush mango tree populations was analysed. Key results – In the entire study zone, the sweet mesocarp is consumed and the endocarp of bush mangoes is commercialized. The application of endocarp-based diets and socio-therapeutic uses are common to communities in Benin. Sweet bush mango trees are generally found either in home gardens or cultivation fields where they may occur at high densities (up to 1020 trees per 25 ha). Bitter trees, however, are confined to the Volta forest region in Togo and occur at low densities (<462 trees per 25 ha) in the wild, sometimes in protected areas, in forest gardens and in fields. This indicates a clear difference in cultivation methods between the bitter and sweet trees. Farmland status, farmer socio-cultural group and type of bush mango trees determined the cultivation intensity. Conclusion – The fact that small farmlands are converted into sweet bush mango tree orchards indicates that farmers actively cultivate bush mango trees in the study area. Diversity of indigenous knowledge, however, is not correlated either to intensive cultivation or domestication efforts and local genetic conservation program. Where slash and burn agriculture and intensive collection of fruits jeopardize bitter trees, traditional fishing systems (using bush mango twigs), a traditional selection strategy, and intensive land commercialization severely threaten sweet bush mango tree genetic resources.

Are sucrose transporter expression profiles linked with patterns of biomass partitioning in Sorghum phenotypes?

Sorghum bicolor is a genetically diverse C4 monocotyledonous species, encompassing varieties capable of producing high grain yields as well as sweet types which accumulate soluble sugars (predominantly sucrose) within their stems to high concentrations. Sucrose produced in leaves (sources) enters the phloem and is transported to regions of growth and storage (sinks). It is likely that sucrose transporter (SUT) proteins play pivotal roles in phloem loading and the delivery of sucrose to growth and storage sinks in all Sorghum ecotypes. Six SUTs are present in the published Sorghum genome, based on the BTx623 grain cultivar. Homologues of these SUTs were cloned and sequenced from the sweet cultivar Rio, and compared with the publically available genome information. SbSUT5 possessed nine amino acid sequence differences between the two varieties. Two of the remaining five SUTs exhibited single variations in their amino acid sequences (SbSUT1 and SbSUT2) whilst the rest shared identical sequences. Complementation of a mutant Saccharomyces yeast strain (SEY6210), unable to grow upon sucrose as the sole carbon source, demonstrated that the Sorghum SUTs were capable of transporting sucrose. SbSUT1, SbSUT4, and SbSUT6 were highly expressed in mature leaf tissues and hence may contribute to phloem loading. In contrast, SbSUT2 and SbSUT5 were expressed most strongly in sinks consistent with a possible role of facilitating sucrose import into stem storage pools and developing inflorescences.

Traditional uses and cultivation of indigenous watermelons (Citrullus lanatus) in Mali

Traditional knowledge associated with uses and cultivation of indigenous watermelon landraces was surveyed in five regions of Mali. Production of local types of watermelon plays an important role for many households. Farmers in charge of the production were mostly men, while women were in charge of seed extraction and processing. In total, ten types of landraces were differentiated, of which seven were seed types. The frequency of the types differed in the five regions, reflecting different agroecological conditions and traditions. Red, sweet flesh types used for dessert dominated in the more humid areas of West and Central Mali and were used as a cash crop. White flesh types, mainly grown for their seeds, were more important towards the desert region in the North. Here, a wild type was also used for human consumption. The seed was processed into sauces, snacks, and porridge, contributing fat and protein to the diet. Seed for sowing was sourced on-farm. In West and Central Mali, watermelons were intercropped with cereals. In the North, watermelon was cultivated as a sole crop in the sandy soils. Some of the landraces possess high heat and drought tolerance, a trait of interest to enhance food security in arid and desert areas.

Oviposition Behavior and Larval Development of the European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) on Sweet Versus Hot Peppers

Infestation of European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), a key pest of peppers (Capsicum annuum L.), was studied to explore the cause of infestation differences in pungent versus sweet types of peppers. Our objectives were to determine whether O. nubilalis adults show an ovipositional preference or larval development effects among pepper types that vary in levels of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, which is measured in Scoville heat units (SHU). Five pepper types with a range in hotness were tested: bell (0 SHU), sweet banana (0 SHU), hot wax (1125 SHU), jalapeño (5,000 SHU), and cayenne (40,000 SHU). Oviposition was studied after artificial infestation in laboratory cages, small and large field cages, and after natural infestation in choice and no-choice field trials. No ovipositional preference was detected for cage no-choice or choice assays. Field choice oviposition trials with 5 pepper types had no differences in either egg mass density or larval infestation. A no-choice field trial with 3 pepper types found there was no difference in oviposition, but larval infestation varied significantly, with bell peppers having the highest infestation and jalapeños the least. It is concluded that O. nubilalis females show no ovipositional preference among the pepper types tested. Larval development time was significantly longer on jalapeños and significantly longer on pungent than on sweet peppers. Larval survival was not significantly different among types. These results suggest that the difference in infestation must be due to behavioral or physical factors after egg laying and before larvae enter the fruit.

MOLECULAR APPROACHES TO CHARACTERIZING AND IMPROVING BULB COMPOSITION IN ONION

MOLECULAR APPROACHES TO CHARACTERIZING AND IMPROVING BULB COMPOSITION IN ONION

Linked dominant alleles or inter-locus interaction results in a major shift in pomegranate fruit acidity of ‘Ganesh’ × ‘Kabul Yellow’

Inheritance of fruit acidity in pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) was studied in 3 sweet or low acid (‘Ganesh’, ‘Ruby’ and ‘Kabul Yellow’) and 3 sour or high acid (‘Nana’, ‘Daru’ and ‘Double Flower’) varieties and their progenies. The F1 and F2 data of ‘Ganesh’ × ‘Nana’ showed that fruit acidity is monogenically controlled and the sour nature is dominant over sweet. Further, whether a genotype produces sweet or sour fruit is determined by a major gene (SS) while a few modifiers with small effects cause fluctuations in the acidity levels within sour and sweet types. All the trees of 3 crosses involving ‘Daru’ produced acidic fruits but those of (‘Ganesh’ × ‘Nana’) × ‘Daru’ reached acidity as high as 71.2 g/l which could be because of cumulative influence of modifying genes derived from the two acidic varieties ‘Nana’ and ‘Daru’. Pollination of functionally sterile ‘Double Flower’ variety with single (normal) flower types revealed that ‘Double Flower’ is a dominant mutant from an acidic fruited genotype (Ss). The segregation pattern in F1 indicated the possible linkage between genes governing total acidity and flower type. All the F1 hybrids between ‘Kabul Yellow’ and ‘Ganesh’ (sweet × sweet) were sour fruited with almost 8-fold jump in fruit acidity over the mid-parental value. The steep increase in acidity cannot be convincingly attributed to overdominance which is certainly rare at major gene level. Alternatively, linked dominant alleles or epistatic effect of neighboring loci which readily simulate overdominance (pseudo-overdominance) could have caused a major shift in F1 fruit acidity.

Evaluation of genetic diversity in Turkish melons (Cucumis melo L.) based on phenotypic characters and RAPD markers

The genetic relationships among 56 melon (Cucumis melo L.) genotypes collected from various parts of Turkey were determined by comparing their phenotypic and molecular traits with those of 23 local and foreign melon genotypes to investigate the taxonomic relationships and genetic variation of Turkish melon germplasm. Sixty-one phenotypic characters and 109 polymorphic RAPD markers obtained from 33 primers were used to define the genetic similarity among the melon genotypes by dendrograms or two and three dimensional scaling. There were high correlations (r ≥ 0.97) among the four resulting matrices used in molecular characterization. The correlations between phenotypic (Euclidean) and molecular Euclidean, Jaccard, Simple matching, and Nei analyses were r = 0.41, r = −0.40, r = −0.43 and r = −0.40, respectively. Related genotypes or genotypes collected from similar regions were partitioned to similar clusters. Both analyses (phenotypic and molecular) indicated that non-sweet melon types were dissimilar from sweet types and diversity of Turkish melon genotypes was higher than that of sweet foreign cultivars examined, but similar to that of the reference accessions employed. It was also observed that sweet Turkish melon genotypes belonging to groups inodorus and group cantalupensis were highly variable and could have intermated or have crossed with other non-sweet types.

Resistance in Maize to Euxesta stigmatias Loew (Diptera: Otitidae)2

The corn silk fly, Euxesta stigmatias Loew (Diptera: Otitidae), and related otitid species can cause severe crop losses to sweet corn, Zea mays L., grown in tropical and subtropical regions. In Florida, the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and E. stigmatias are two debilitating insect pests on the sweet corn ear that are considered the most costly and difficult to control. Our purpose was to search for resistance to the corn silk fly in a diverse set of maize germplasm that included sweet, floury, field and popcorn, and to determine if any empirical relationship existed between E. stigmatias damage and S. frugiperda infestation in corn ears. The overall means across two sites, 3 yrs and 16 genotypes was 1.77 for corn silk fly damage, rated on a 0 to 4 prototype scale, and 30.1% for fall armyworm infestation. Clear differences existed between the sweet and popcorn types when compared to the field and floury types. The field and floury corns sustained significantly less damage by the corn silk fly than the sweet and popcorn types (0.91 vs 3.33). Five of these genotypes, CEW-R58, DDSB, GT-RI4, Mp704 and ‘Zapalote Chico 2451’, had both lower corn silk fly damage ratings and lower levels of fall armyworm infestation. Across this broad germplasm base no statistical relationship was identified between corn silk fly damage and fall armyworm infestation, suggesting that each insect species responds independently to different maize genotypes. Husk extension was partly related to reduced S. frugiperda infestation, and tip tightness was partly related to reduced E. stigmatias damage. These results indicate that field corn could possibly serve as source of resistance to the corn silk fly for the improvement of sweet corn.

Physical, Compositional, and Sensory Properties of French Fry-Type Products from Five Sweetpotato Selections

Strips from five sweetpotato (SP) cultivars (cv.) representing two different texture/flavor types were prepared and frozen. They were fried and their flavor and texture evaluated by sensory panels. Selected physical and compositional analyses were performed on raw and fried SP. An untrained preference panel tended to score the flavor of the sweeter types highest and the texture of the firm types higher than sweet types. A trained profile panel identified and scored flavor notes and texture categories. This research indicated that the intensity of the flavor notes sweetness and starch and the intensity of texture notes first-bite moistness and first-bite hardness were highly correlated with some of the compositional parameters. Correlation between compositional parameters and the flavor and texture note intensities listed above could be developed into a system to predict those sensory properties in newly developed selections without having to resort to sensory analyses. Keywords: Texture profile analysis; ...

TOBACCO ETCH IN PEPPERS IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO

Tobacco etch is one of the most prevalent and injurious viruses on sweet peppers in southern Ontario. The virus occurs in several strains. Detailed descriptions of symptoms produced by etch on sweet, hot, and semihot varieties of peppers are described. Symptoms on the pepper fruits have been observed chiefly on the sweet types. The widespread occurrence of etch in peppers is attributed to the prevalence of the vector Myzus persicae Sulz. Possible sources of etch that may give rise to epidemics on pepper and tobacco crops in southern Ontario are discussed.

The Rate of Fermentation of Ciders and Perries

The Rate of Fermentation of Ciders and Perries