Research

15 pages, 3562 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Do Rootstocks Influence Global Fruit Quality, Postharvest Performance and Metabolite Profiles of Persea americana cv. Hass?

by Ignacia Hernández, Vitalia Molina, Claudia Fuentealba, Juan E. Alvaro, Bruno G. Defilippi and Romina Pedreschi

Horticulturae 2023, 9(2), 184; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae9020184 - 01 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1424

Abstract

The choice of rootstock has a significant impact, not only on fruit growth and development, but also on avocado fruit quality and postharvest performance. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare attributes related to the postharvest quality of Hass avocados [...] Read more.

The choice of rootstock has a significant impact, not only on fruit growth and development, but also on avocado fruit quality and postharvest performance. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare attributes related to the postharvest quality of Hass avocados from “Mexicola” and “Duke 7” rootstocks grown under similar conditions. This study included two harvests: early (23–26% dry matter) and middle (>26–30% dry matter) per season for the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 seasons and two storage conditions (regular air (RA) at 5 °C and controlled atmosphere (CA) at 4 kPa O₂ and 6 kPa CO₂ at 5 °C) for 55 days. The results showed significant differences in firmness, color and vascular and flesh browning between storage conditions; in addition to these last three attributes, the rootstock played an important role. The fatty acid profile did not reveal significant differences between fruit from both rootstocks. Finally, the polar metabolite profiles revealed differences only for the storage condition, not associated to the rootstock, which could affect the postharvest performance of Hass avocado fruit. This study is one of the few available showing the interaction of rootstock/Hass cultivar on fruit quality and postharvest performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Factors Affecting the Quality and Shelf Life of Horticultural Crops)

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13 pages, 3763 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Preharvest Aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) Treatment on Fruit Ripening, Core Browning and Related Gene Expression in ‘Huangguan’ Pear (Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd.)

by Jingang He, Yunxiao Feng, Yudou Cheng and Junfeng Guan

Horticulturae 2023, 9(2), 179; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae9020179 - 30 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1927

Abstract

‘Huangguan’ pear (Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd. cv. Huangguan) is a widely planted cultivar in China. However, it is susceptible to core browning after harvest. In this study, aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) was applied at 200 mg L⁻¹ one and two weeks prior to harvest, [...] Read more.

‘Huangguan’ pear (Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd. cv. Huangguan) is a widely planted cultivar in China. However, it is susceptible to core browning after harvest. In this study, aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) was applied at 200 mg L⁻¹ one and two weeks prior to harvest, and its effects on fruit quality, ripening and core browning were investigated during fruit storage at ambient temperature (25 ± 1 °C). The results showed that there was higher firmness, soluble solids content (SSC) and titratable acid (TA) content, but a lower ethylene production rate and core browning index in AVG-treated fruit than in control (water). Compared with the control fruit, AVG treatment decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, delayed the peak of chlorogenic acid (CGA) content in the core tissue, and significantly inhibited the expression of genes such as ACC synthase (PbACS2, PbACS3a, PbACS5a and PbASC5b), ACC oxidase (PbACO1 and PbACO2), ethylene receptors (PbETR2 and PbERS1), ethylene response factor (PbERF1), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PbPAL1), cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (PbC4H4), 4-hydroxycinnamoyl- CoA ligase (Pb4CL2), hydroxycinnamoyl- CoA shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (PbHCT1 and PbHCT3), and polyphenol oxidase (PbPPO1 and PbPPO5), as well as phospholipase D (PbPLD) and lipoxygenase (PbLOX1 and PbLOX5). Thus, these results suggested that the reduction in core browning by preharvest application of AVG might be due to an inhibitory effect on the expression of genes associated with ethylene biosynthesis and signaling pathways, CGA biosynthesis, PPO and cell membrane degradation in ‘Huangguan’ pear. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Factors Affecting the Quality and Shelf Life of Horticultural Crops)

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13 pages, 1691 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High-Relative-Humidity Storage Reduces the Chilling Injury Symptoms of Red Sweet Peppers in the Breaker Stage

by Abiodun Samuel Afolabi, In-Lee Choi, Joo Hwan Lee, Yong Beom Kwon and Ho-Min Kang

Horticulturae 2023, 9(1), 116; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae9010116 - 15 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1853

Abstract

Water loss, interwoven with other factors, is identified as the cause of chilling injury to sweet peppers. The breaker stage is the most vulnerable of all maturity stages. The purpose of this study was to see if increasing the storage relative humidity (RH) [...] Read more.

Water loss, interwoven with other factors, is identified as the cause of chilling injury to sweet peppers. The breaker stage is the most vulnerable of all maturity stages. The purpose of this study was to see if increasing the storage relative humidity (RH) reduces the chilling injury and to compare its effect on breaker-stage fruits to red-ripe fruits at a normal RH. The fruits were stored at 5 °C with a RH of 98 ± 2% and 70 ± 6% for high and low RH, respectively. After 15 days of cold storage, the fruits were moved to ambient conditions for 3–5 days for chilling injury symptoms to appear. The results showed that high RH storage reduced fruit water loss by 4–4.5% compared to low RH storage, resulting in fewer chilling injury symptoms regardless of fruit maturity stage. Due to the increased RH, cell membrane damage indicators such as electrolyte leakage, MDA, respiration, and ethylene production rates were shown to be reduced, while brix and color were well maintained, indicating reduced or stopped senescence. Furthermore, DPPH antioxidant activity and vitamin C were retained and optimized. The microbiological analyses also showed that a high RH may not promote the growth of microorganisms as quickly as may have been thought. Finally, the findings of this study indicate that breaker-stage peppers stored at a high RH may be less susceptible to chilling injury than red-ripe peppers stored at a low RH. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Factors Affecting the Quality and Shelf Life of Horticultural Crops)

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13 pages, 623 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Different Doses of 1-Methylcyclopropene on Postharvest Physiology and Predicting Ethylene Production through Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines in Cocktail Tomato

by Askin Bahar, Seyda Cavusoglu, Nurettin Yilmaz, Onur Tekin and Sezai Ercisli

Horticulturae 2022, 8(7), 567; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae8070567 - 22 Jun 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1538

Abstract

Maintaining the postharvest quality of tomatoes, which are essential in the world vegetable trade, is very important; otherwise, storage may cause severe quality and economic losses. This study aimed to determine the effects of 1-MCP treatments on quality and storage time to prevent [...] Read more.

Maintaining the postharvest quality of tomatoes, which are essential in the world vegetable trade, is very important; otherwise, storage may cause severe quality and economic losses. This study aimed to determine the effects of 1-MCP treatments on quality and storage time to prevent quality loss and deterioration in tomatoes due to high temperature and to predict ethylene production through the Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines algorithm during long-term storage. For this purpose, same-sized fruits were divided into three different groups. Two groups were treated with 1-MCP (625 and 1250 ppb), and the untreated fruit was the control. Then, the tomatoes were stored for 39 days at a temperature of 20 °C and relative humidity of 85–90%. The results obtained from the present study showed that the 1-MCP treatments prolonged the life and maintained the quality of tomato fruit during storage. The ethylene production and respiration rate were significantly lower in 1-MCP-treated fruit than in the untreated fruit during the storage period (p < 0.05). According to the Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines algorithm, it was observed that increasing doses of 1-MCP inhibited ethylene production. Furthermore, weight loss and respiratory rate were effective on ethylene production at 100 and 43.9%, respectively. In conclusion, treating the fruit with 1250 ppb of 1-MCP was determined to be the best practice for maintaining all quality criteria during storage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Factors Affecting the Quality and Shelf Life of Horticultural Crops)

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14 pages, 1232 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Different Oxygen Levels with High-Carbon Dioxide Atmosphere on Postharvest Quality of Fresh Fig under Palliflex Storage Systems

by Adem Dogan

Horticulturae 2022, 8(5), 353; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae8050353 - 20 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1819

Abstract

Regulation of storage atmosphere composition with high carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a highly effective and alternative approach to control quantity and quality losses in many horticultural crops. The aim of the study was to determine the effects of different O₂ [...] Read more.

Regulation of storage atmosphere composition with high carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a highly effective and alternative approach to control quantity and quality losses in many horticultural crops. The aim of the study was to determine the effects of different O₂ with constant high-level CO₂ on the postharvest quality of fig cv. Bursa Siyahi in a new practical approach. For this purpose, 6% O₂ + 15% CO₂ (PL1), 9% O₂ + 15% CO₂ (PL2) and 21% O₂ + 0.03% CO₂ (Control) compositions were tested under a palliflex storage system during the cold storage and shelf-life. PL1 and PL2 were found to be more effective than the control for investigated parameters in general. After 28 days of cold storage and +3 days shelf-life, PL1 was also effective in controlling weight loss, ethylene production, antioxidant activity, decay incidence, decay severity, and total microorganisms. However, there were no significant differences between PL1 and PL2 for total soluble solids, titratable acidity, taste, visual appearance, firmness, respiration rate, and anthocyanin content. PL1 could be an effective composition for controlling decay and maintaining the postharvest quality of fresh figs during cold storage and shelf-life without any side effects on visual appearance and taste. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Factors Affecting the Quality and Shelf Life of Horticultural Crops)

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16 pages, 2366 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pre-Harvest Application of Salicylic Acid, Abscisic Acid, and Methyl Jasmonate Conserve Bioactive Compounds of Strawberry Fruits during Refrigerated Storage

by Omaima S. Darwish, Marwa R. Ali, Ebtihal Khojah, Bassem N. Samra, Khaled M. A. Ramadan and Mohamed M. El-Mogy

Horticulturae 2021, 7(12), 568; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae7120568 - 10 Dec 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3379

Abstract

The short shelf-life and loss of bioactive compounds of strawberry fruit are the most important problems during strawberry refrigerated storage. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of the pre-harvest foliar application of salicylic acid (SA) (2 and 4 mM), abscisic [...] Read more.

The short shelf-life and loss of bioactive compounds of strawberry fruit are the most important problems during strawberry refrigerated storage. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of the pre-harvest foliar application of salicylic acid (SA) (2 and 4 mM), abscisic acid (ABA) (0.25 and 0.50 mM), and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) (0.25 and 0.50 mM) three times, 10 d apart, at fruit development and ripening stages on storage ability and bioactive compounds of strawberry fruit (cv. Festival) stored at 4 °C for 12 d. Our results showed that fruit obtained from both concentrations of ABA and 0.25 mM MeJA was firmer and had higher total soluble solids (TSS) than fruit from non-treated plants. However, all previous applications had no significant effect on weight loss, pH, or color. Applications of 4 mM SA and 0.25 mM MeJA conserved fruit from ascorbic acid (AsA) loss compared to control at the end of the storage period. In addition, all pre-harvest applications remained higher in total phenolic compounds (TPC) and anthocyanin contents compared to controls at the last storage period. Hence, the pre-harvest application of SA, ABA, and MeJA could be used to conserve TPC and anthocyanin as well as the quality of strawberry fruits during refrigerated storage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Factors Affecting the Quality and Shelf Life of Horticultural Crops)

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13 pages, 4417 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quality Attributes of Chitosan-Coated Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas L.) Fruits under Different Storage Temperatures

by Asghar Ebrahimzadeh, Maryam Esmaeili, Hamid Hassanpour, Mohammad Bagher Hassanpouraghdam, Sezai Ercisli, Mehmet Ramazan Bozhuyuk, Libor Dokoupil and Jiri Mlcek

Horticulturae 2021, 7(12), 540; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae7120540 - 02 Dec 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2268

Abstract

Temperature is the dominant environmental stimulus that influences the postharvest quality, visual appearance, and nutritional content of fruits. Temperature hastens fruit ripening and senescence by the impact on respiration rate and the acceleration of metabolic reactions. This study was conducted to select the [...] Read more.

Temperature is the dominant environmental stimulus that influences the postharvest quality, visual appearance, and nutritional content of fruits. Temperature hastens fruit ripening and senescence by the impact on respiration rate and the acceleration of metabolic reactions. This study was conducted to select the optimized temperature for preserving the quality-related traits and antioxidant potential of cornelian cherry fruits after harvest. The fruits were treated with 1% chitosan and then kept under 0, 5, 10, and 21 °C for 21 days. The results revealed that fruits kept under lower than room temperature (21 °C) better retained antioxidant capacity and had higher levels of phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanins and even higher antioxidant enzyme activity, hence attaining prolonged postharvest life. Considering the quantity attributes and the shelf life, the temperature of choice was 0 °C. Zero temperature was also the best to keep the antioxidant capacity of cornelian cherry fruits. Overall, the results showed that low temperature and chitosan pretreatment provide an efficient method for maintaining the nutritional quality and antioxidant capacity of cornelian cherry fruits during storage time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Factors Affecting the Quality and Shelf Life of Horticultural Crops)

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15 pages, 3165 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhance Growth and Flower Quality of Chrysanthemum indicum L. with Application of Plant Growth Retardants

by Endre Kentelky, Zsolt Szekely-Varga, János Bálint and Adalbert Balog

Horticulturae 2021, 7(12), 532; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae7120532 - 01 Dec 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3905

Abstract

Ornamental plants are cultivated worldwide. Chrysanthemum is classified as one of the most important cut and potted flowers in most of the countries. The consumer’s expectation is to find small–compact, and full of inflorescences plants. To meet these demands, growers are tending to [...] Read more.

Ornamental plants are cultivated worldwide. Chrysanthemum is classified as one of the most important cut and potted flowers in most of the countries. The consumer’s expectation is to find small–compact, and full of inflorescences plants. To meet these demands, growers are tending to use plant growth retardants. Three Chrysanthemum indicum L. varieties (‘Smola White’, ‘Arber’ and ‘Vienna White’) were assessed by using four plant growth regulators (PP–Bumper 250 EC; CC–Stabilan SL; MP–Medax Top SC; and PD–Toprex SC). Results indicate that treated plants show significant decrease in the assessed parameters, although in some cases growth could be a variety–dependent factor. It can also be concluded that retardants inhibit chrysanthemum growth. PD treatments greatly inhibited the growth of the plant, and also had a negative effect on inflorescences. In conclusion, the present work strengthens the possibility of using retardants as plant growth inhibitors in Chrysanthemum cultivation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Factors Affecting the Quality and Shelf Life of Horticultural Crops)

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16 pages, 5425 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Heat Treatment in Two Tomato Cultivars: A Study of the Effect on Physiological and Growth Recovery

by Sherzod Nigmatullaevich Rajametov, Eun Young Yang, Hyo Bong Jeong, Myeong Cheoul Cho, Soo Young Chae and Niroj Paudel

Horticulturae 2021, 7(5), 119; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae7050119 - 20 May 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 5098

Abstract

High temperature (HT) significantly affects crop physiological traits and reduces productivity in plants. To increase yields as well as survival of crops under HT, developing heat-tolerant plants is one of the main targets in crop breeding programs. The present study attempted to investigate [...] Read more.

High temperature (HT) significantly affects crop physiological traits and reduces productivity in plants. To increase yields as well as survival of crops under HT, developing heat-tolerant plants is one of the main targets in crop breeding programs. The present study attempted to investigate the linkage of the heat tolerance between the seedling and reproductive growth stages of tomato cultivars ’Dafnis‘ and ’Minichal.’ This research was undertaken to evaluate heat tolerance under two experimental designs such as screening at seedling stage and screening from reproductive traits in greenhouses. Survival rate and physiological responses in seedlings of tomatoes with 4-5 true leaves were estimated under HT (40 °C, RH 70%, day/night, respectively) and under two control and HT greenhouse conditions (day time 28 °C and 40 °C, respectively). Heat stress significantly affected physiological–chemical (photosynthesis, electrolyte conductivity, proline) and vegetative parameters (plant height, shoot fresh weight, root fresh weight) in all tomato seedlings. The findings revealed that regardless of tomato cultivars the photosynthesis, chlorophyll, total proline and electrical conductivity parameters were varied in seedlings during the heat stress period. The heat tolerance rate of tomatoes in the seedling stage might not always be associated with reproductive parameters. HT reduced fruit parameters such as fruit weight (31.9%), fruit length (14.1%), fruit diameter (19.1%), and fruit hardness (9.1%) compared to NT under HT in heat-susceptible tomato cultivar ‘Dafnis’, while in heat-tolerant cultivar ‘Minichal’ fruit length (7.1%) and fruit diameter (12.1%) was decreased by the effects of HT, but on the contrary fruit weight (3.6%) and fruit hardness (8.3%) were increased. In conclusion, screening and selection for tomatoes should be evaluated at the vegetative and reproductive stages with consideration of reproductive parameters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Factors Affecting the Quality and Shelf Life of Horticultural Crops)

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