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This study was conducted in Postharvest Lab of Faculty Sustainable Agriculture. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of hydro cooling time, storage temperature and storage duration on Saba banana. The hypothesis that has been tested in this experiment was is there a significant difference in the effect of hydro cooling time (CT), storage temperature (ST) and storage duration (SD) on Saba banana. The treatments used in this experiment were different hydro cooling times (0, ½ and 7/8); then Saba banana was stored at cold temperature (13±2°C), room temperature (26±2°C) and outside temperature (30±2°C) after hydro cooling for 3 weeks duration. The parameters that have been recorded in this study were weight loss, pulp firmness, skin colour, visual appearance, pH value, total soluble solid and total titratable acidity. The experimental design thatused for this study was Completely Randomised Design (CRD) with a factorial arrangement of treatments (3CoolingTime x 3Storage Temperature x 4 Storage Duration), with three replications and two fruits per treatment per replication. The results were analysed using SAS Version 9.1. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to get the variance among the treatments, storage temperatures and storage duration. LSD was performed to determine difference on the mean values. The results indicate that the cooling time has significantly affected the weight loss, pulp firmness, skin colour L*, skin colour C*, pH, total soluble solid and titratable acidity but it did not affect significantly on skin colour h° and visual appearance. Meanwhile the storage temperature affects significantly all the parameter except skin colour h° and all the parameters have significantly affected at all storage durations. Treatment combinations of cooling time and storage temperature were found to have significant interaction effects on visual appearance and titratable acidity only. The treatment combinations between cooling time and storage duration were found to have significant effect on weight loss, total soluble solid and titratable acidity. The treatment combination between storage temperature and storage duration were found to have significant effects on all the postharvest qualities except for the pH. The treatment combinations between cooling time, storage temperature and storage duration were found to have significant effect on skin colour L*, skin colour C*, visual appearance and titratable acidity. In conclusion, there is no any precooling time that can be suggested for the farmers to be used in their farm because precooling increases the weight loss and reduces visual appearance.

Peach ( Prunus persica ) production in the southeastern United States extends from mid-May to mid-September. There are ≈60 peach cultivars commercially grown. Each cultivar has unique fruit quality characteristics, which could influence consumer perception and likability. The present study is a survey of chemical and physical characteristics of mature, commercially grown, fresh peaches in Georgia. A collection of 30 cultivars was evaluated in 2015 and 2016 for soluble solids concentration (SSC), total titratable acidity (TTA), SSC/TTA ratio, texture (compression, puncture, and Kramer shear), and skin and flesh color (CIE L *, chroma, and hue color space values). There was significant variation between seasons for all variables ( P < 0.05) except for TTA ( P = 0.12), and flesh hue values ( P = 0.38). Statistical differences among cultivars within each year were reported for all variables ( P < 0.0001). SSC showed variation seasonally and among cultivars, whereas TTA variation was mainly attributed to cultivar differences. Similarly, cultivar-to-cultivar differences were found when comparing the different texture tests evaluated with cultivars such as Goldprince, Early August Prince, Flameprince, Majestic, and Red Globe having the most variation between seasons. Other cultivars analyzed had little variation between seasons. Moreover, firmness differences observed across the three texture tests were inconsistent. In peach skin color, significant variation was observed for L *, chroma, and hue among cultivars. Skin hue and chroma were highly correlated within each season ( r = 0.77 for 2015, r = 0.72 for 2016). The results of this survey demonstrate the variation of quality characteristics for a large selection of peach cultivars grown in Georgia. The information reported in this paper will be used as a baseline for further examining and understanding peach fruit quality.

The fruit of commercial cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) cultivars have relatively high concentrations of malic acid (MA) and citric acid (CA), and, to a lesser extent, quinic acid. These acids contribute to the high titratable acidity (TA), a measure of tartness, of cranberry fruit, which typically ranges from 2.3 to 2.5% citric acid equivalents in commercial cultivars. Thus, considerable amounts of sugar are added (“added sugar”) in products such as sweetened-dried cranberries and juices. Within our cranberry germplasm collection, a unique accession was identified with fruit having a TA ≈ 1.5%, where MA concentration was reduced to ~ 4 mg/g fresh weight (FW), compared to ~ 8 mg/g FW in current cultivars. Inbred crosses derived from this accession yielded progeny with a lower MA phenotype (~ 2 mg/g FW). Observed segregation indicated the accession was heterozygous (Mala/mala) for a low MA allele (mala) and very low MA progeny were homozygous (mala/mala). MA was reduced approximately 75% in these populations relative to standard cultivars. The homozygous mala/mala locus also depressed fruit CA and quinic acid concentrations. Quantitative trait loci mapping identified a region on chromosome 4 associated with low MA. The combined segregation of three half-sib populations derived from the low MA accession generated effective (within < 1 cM) Kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers for use in breeding of cranberry cultivars with lower MA. Dihybrid populations were developed having a previously described low CA allele, cita, with the mala alleles of this study to explore the interaction of alleles at both loci.

Grape harvesting based on estimated in-field maturity indices can reduce the costs of pre-harvest exhaustive sampling and chemical analysis, as well as the costs of post-harvest storage and waste across the production chain due to the non-climacteric nature of grapes, meaning that they are not able to reach desired maturity levels after being removed from the vine. Color imaging is used extensively for intact maturity estimation of fruits. In this study, color imaging is combined with Intervals’ Numbers (INs) technique to associate grape cluster images to maturity-related indices such as the total soluble solids (TSSs), titratable acidity (TA), and pH. A neural network regressor is employed to estimate the three indices for a given input of an IN representation of CIELAB color space. The model is tested on one hundred Tempranillo cultivar images, and the mean-square error (MSE) is calculated for the performance evaluation of the model. Results reveal the potential use of the Ins’ NN regressor for TSS, TA, and pH assessment as a non-destructive, efficient, fast, and cost-effective tool able to be integrated into an autonomous harvesting robot.

Vineyard soils normally do not provide the amount of nitrogen (N) necessary for red wine production. Traditionally, the N concentration in leaves guides the N fertilization of vineyards to reach high grape yields and chemical composition under the ceteris paribus assumption. Moreover, the carryover effects of nutrients and carbohydrates stored by perennials such as grapevines are neglected. Where a well-documented database is assembled, machine learning (ML) methods can account for key site-specific features and carryover effects, impacting the performance of grapevines. The aim of this study was to predict, using ML tools, N management from local features to reach high berry yield and quality in ‘Alicante Bouschet’ vineyards. The 5-year (2015–2019) fertilizer trial comprised six N doses (0–20–40–60–80–100 kg N ha−1) and three regimes of irrigation. Model features included N dosage, climatic indices, foliar N application, and stem diameter of the preceding season, all of which were indices of the carryover effects. Accuracy of ML models was the highest with a yield cutoff of 14 t ha−1 and a total anthocyanin content (TAC) of 3900 mg L−1. Regression models were more accurate for total soluble solids (TSS), total titratable acidity (TTA), pH, TAC, and total phenolic content (TPC) in the marketable grape yield. The tissue N ranges differed between high marketable yield and TAC, indicating a trade-off about 24 g N kg−1 in the diagnostic leaf. The N dosage predicted varied from 0 to 40 kg N ha−1 depending on target variable, this was calculated from local features and carryover effects but excluded climatic indices. The dataset can increase in size and diversity with the collaboration of growers, which can help to cross over the numerous combinations of features found in vineyards. This research contributes to the rational use of N fertilizers, but with the guarantee that obtaining high productivity must be with adequate composition.

In east Anatolia region in Turkey, there are special microclimates, which famous for its fruit production. One of the most important microclimates in the region is Aras valley. The major fruit in the valley is apricot, which grown both cultivated and wild forms. This study aimed to assess some important fruit morphological and biochemical characteristics of 26 wild apricots and cv. Aprikoz grown in Kagizman district in Aras valley. Harvest date, tree growth habit, fruit weight, fruit shape, fruit firmness, fruit color, flesh/seed ratio, aroma, kernel taste, soluble solid content, titratable acidity, maturity index, vitamin C, total phenolic, total carotenoid and antioxidant capacity were determined. The wild grown apricots exhibited a wide variation on most of the fruit morphological and biochemical characteristics. Harvest date, fruit shape, fruit weight, fruit firmness and fruit color were the most distinct morphological characteristics of wild grown apricots. Harvest dates and fruit weight were found between 02 July (KA18) and 06 August (KA13); 16.28 g (KA6) and 33.14 g (KA2) among wild grown apricots, respectively. The main cultivar cv. Aprikoz harvested at 04 July and had 38.67 g fruit weight. The wild apricots had flesh/seed ratio between 8.41 (KA21) and 12.25 (KA10) while cv. Aprikoz had 11.69 flesh/seed ratio. Total antioxidant capacity, total carotenoid and total phenolic content were the highest in most of wild apricot fruits than cv. Aprikoz. Our results showed that there is potential for promoting wild apricot fruit from specific geographical regions because they contained elevated concentrations of antioxidant polyphenolic compounds.

The effects of nanoparticles (NPs) on plants are contrasting; these depend on the model plant, the synthesis of the nanoparticles (concentration, size, shape), and the forms of application (foliar, substrate, seeds). For this reason, the objective of this study was to report the impact of different concentrations of selenium (Se) and copper (Cu) NPs on yield, antioxidant capacity, and quality of tomato fruit. The different concentrations of Se and Cu NPs were applied to the substrate every 15 days (five applications). The yield was determined until day 102 after the transplant. Non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant compounds were determined in the leaves and fruits as well as the fruit quality at harvest. The results indicate that tomato yield was increased by up to 21% with 10 mg L−1 of Se NPs. In leaves, Se and Cu NPs increased the content of chlorophyll, vitamin C, glutathione, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazolin-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and phenylalanine ammonia liasa (PAL). In fruits, they increased vitamin C, glutathione, flavonoids, firmness, total soluble solids, and titratable acidity. The combination of Se and Cu NPs at optimal concentrations could be a good alternative to improve tomato yield and quality, but more studies are needed to elucidate their effects more clearly.

Fruits and vegetables are widely known to be rich in nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, dietary fiber, minerals, and a bioactive molecule, making them an essential component of a balanced diet with multiple documented positive effects on human health. The probiotication of plant-based juices for the production of functional and nutraceutical food serves as a healthy alternative to dairy probiotics. They are cholesterol free, lack several dairy allergens, and also encourage ingestion for people with lactose intolerance. This review highlights valuable claims regarding the efficacy of different probiotic strains on various diseases. A comprehensive nutrition comparison and the preference of plant-based over dairy probiotic drinks is also discussed, supported with updated market trends of probiotic drinks (dairy and non-dairy based). An extensive compilation of current plant-based probiotic drinks that are available in markets around the world is listed as a reference. The fermentability of carbon sources by probiotic microorganisms is crucial in addressing the development of plant-based drinks. Therefore, the pathway involved in metabolism of sucrose, glucose, fructose, and galactose in fruit and vegetable juice was also underlined. Finally, the key factors in monitoring the quality of probiotic products such as total soluble solids, sugar consumption, titratable acidity, pH, and stability at low storage temperatures were outlined.

The effectiveness of the edible coating with thymol nanoemulsion on the safety, sensorial properties, and quality of refrigerated strawberries was investigated under commercial storage conditions. Spontaneous emulsification was used to obtain the thymol nanoemulsion that was included on quinoa protein/chitosan coatings. During the entire storage time, strawberries coated with thymol-antimicrobial packaging had a lower fungal and yeast load compared with the controls (uncoated and coated with quinoa protein/chitosan). The flavour and aroma of the coated strawberries was initially affected, although this sensory appreciation was improved from the fifth day of storage and showed similar scores than the controls, and presenting better aroma score at day 12 of storage. Furthermore, the shelf life of the thymol nanoemulsion-coated strawberries increased in 4 days, unlike that in the both controls. Further, the application of these biocoatings on strawberries significantly decreased the weight loss relative to that in the control, during 16 days of storage at 5 °C and 90% relative humidity, and did not alter the quality parameters (pH, titrable acidity, and percentage of soluble solids). These results suggest that the application of thymol/nanomulsion-loaded edible films is an effective strategy to increase the shelf life of highly perishable products such as strawberries.

The preparation of a cup of coffee may vary between countries, cultures and individuals. Here, an analysis of nine different extraction methods is presented regarding analytical and sensory aspects for four espressi and five lunghi. This comprised espresso and lungo from a semi-automatic coffee machine, espresso and lungo from a fully automatic coffee machine, espresso from a single-serve capsule system, mocha made with a percolator, lungo prepared with French Press extraction, filter coffee and lungo extracted with a Bayreuth coffee machine. Analytical measurements included headspace analysis with HS SPME GC/MS, acidity (pH), titratable acidity, content of fatty acids, total solids, refractive indices (expressed in °Brix), caffeine and chlorogenic acids content with HPLC. Sensory analysis included visual, aroma, flavor and textural attributes as well as aftersensation. The technical differences in the extraction methods led to a higher concentration of the respective quantities in the espressi than in the lunghi. Regarding the contents per cup of coffee, the lunghi generally had a higher content than the espressi. The extraction efficiency of the respective compounds was mainly driven by their solubility in water. A higher amount of water, as in the extraction of a lungo, generally led to higher extraction efficiency. Comparing analytical data with sensory profiles, the following positive correlations were found total solids ↔ texture/body, headspace intensity ↔ aroma intensity, concentrations of caffeine/chlorogenic acids ↔ bitterness and astringency.