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In the conditions of the mild inland climate of the Czech Republic at an altitude of 350 m above sea level, 11 varieties of apricots were evaluated, mainly a selection from newer varieties of French provenance, namely ‘BergevalTM Aviclo®’, ‘Candide®’, ‘Digat®’, ‘NinjaTM EA 5040®’, ‘SamouraiTM EA 2034®’, ‘Sefora®’ and ‘Tardicot’. Also included in the monitoring were 4 varieties commonly grown in the Czech Republic, which were used as comparative – varieties ‘Bergeron’, ‘Kioto®’, ‘PinkcotTM Cotpy®’, and ‘Spring BlushTM EA3126TH®’. Tree health, tree growth, tree shape and the amount of phenological and pomological traits recorded in 2024 were evaluated. The preliminary results of the evaluation of new varieties are compared with the results of commonly grown varieties. Evaluations from the following years and conclusions will be processed in the next study.

Plums are one of the most widely grown fruits in the Czech Republic. The demand for plums is increasing not only for the purpose of processing them into marmalades, preserves or for distilling, but also for the fruit itself as a dessert fruit. Therefore, it is crucial that breeding stations are producing genotypes suitable for consumption and processing. Evaluation of the growth parameters, fruit quality and fruit production of most of the varieties available on the market in the local climatic conditions of the region is important. If varieties are not properly selected, large economic losses are caused. The varieties selected for this study were ‘Bluefree’, ‘Cacanska lepotica’, ‘Haganta’, ‘Jojo’, ‘Jubileum’, ‘Presenta’, ‘President’, ‘Simona’, ‘Tophit’, ‘Kulinaria’. Trees were evaluated in the natural conditions of the orchard for 5 years. The monitored parameters were flower onset, fruit onset, flowering and harvesting time, fruit size, overall fruit quality and sugar content. The varieties ‘Bluefree’, ‘Haganta’, ‘Kulinaria’ and ‘President’ had the largest fruit size and high sugar contents and therefore were the most suitable for direct consumption. The varieties with the highest sugar content were ‘Haganta’, ‘President’ and ‘Presenta’, making them the most suitable for the processing market.

ABSTRACTThis study was conducted on Siirt Pistachio variety (Pistacia vera L.) grown in five different locations (Kahramanmaraş, Pazarcık, Gaziantep, Ceylanpınar and Siirt) for two years (2017 and 2018). Phenological (bud burst, beginning of flowering, full-bloom, and beginning of leafing end of flowering), pomological (fruit size, fruit weight, and color parameters), physical (split, unsplit fruit ratios, empty and full fruit ratio) and biochemical (total phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidant activity, and fatty acids) analyses were conducted. Total protein contents varied between 18.55% (Ceylanpınar) and 19.45% (Gaziantep); fatty acid contents between 52.80% (Siirt) and 54.25% (Gaziantep); saturated fatty acid ratios between 10.44% (Gaziantep) and 11.58% (Pazarcık); unsaturated fatty acid ratios between 88.42% (Pazarcık) and 89.56% (Gaziantep); saturated fatty acid/unsaturated fatty acid ratios between 7.64% (Pazarcık) and 8.58% (Gaziantep); total phenolics between 18.91 (Ceylanpınar) and 23.04 mg GAE/g; total flavonoids between 7.34 (Ceylanpınar) and 10.23 mg QE/g; antioxidant activity values between between 1.65 (Siirt) and 3.25 IC50 µg/ml (Kahramanmaraş). Principal component analysis revealed that four components had eigenvalues greater than 1. The first two components explained 64.6% of total variation. Oleic (−0.98) and linoleic (0.91) acids were the most effective parameters on the first component and kernel weight, a*, protein, arachidic, gonolic acids, Mg, P and Zn were the most effective parameters on the second component. Present findings can guide new studies to be done with this species.

The research focused on analyzing qualitative and quantitative morpho-physiological characteristics of local sweet cherry cultivars and genotypes. Quantitative and qualitative characteristics (fruit weight, fruit length, fruit width, fruit shape, fruit pistil end, fruit suture, fruit skin colour, fruit flesh colour, length of fruit stalk, thickness of fruit stalk, weight of fruit stalk, colour of fruit juice, fruit juiciness, eating quality, fruit sweetness, stone weight, stone shape, TA, pH, L*, a*, b*, H, croma, cracking index, sensitivity class) with UPOV descriptors were used in the evaluation. The findings revealed a significant variation among local cultivars and genotypes. It was determined that there was a low-level negative correlation between cracking index and fruit weight, fruit length, stone weight, TA, pH and L*; and a low-level positive correlation between fruit width, fruit stem length, thickness and weight, SCC, a*, b*, H and croma. The heat map and clustering analysis classified local cultivars and genotypes into two main clusters, each containing several secondary sub-clusters. This classification indicates a significant potential within the characterized sweet cherry collection for targeted breeding purposes. In particular, local sweet cherry cultivars and genotypes classified into several clusters show promise as potential parental candidates for hybridization in breeding. As a result of the research, local cultivars and genotypes with high fruit weight and cracking resistance were identified. The dendrogram showing the examined characteristics visually expresses the differentiation between local cultivars and genotypes, thus indicating clear distinctions. We believe these genotypes can be employed in breeding and breeding research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The renowned horticultural artist and plant breeder Luther Burbank worked with many species of plants. During his 50-year career, he introduced more than 800 cultivars, including more than 150 accessions of plums (Prunus spp.) in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Burbank preferred using wide, interspecific crosses to create a vast range of phenotypic variation and then artificially select from the extremes. Although a great artist, Burbank was a substandard scientist because he was derelict in pedigree note-taking. Although many of his introductions are extinct, hobbyists, enthusiasts, and international collections retain nearly a third of the economically viable cultivars he bred. For a century, many of his hybridizations remained inscrutable mysteries until modern genomic and computational tools developed their resolution and statistical power. Today, genotyping by sequencing (GBS) is a useful tool for pedigree reconstruction in the absence of reliable records. GBS can inform principal component analyses, identity by descent (IBD) kinship, and phylogenetic admixture, revealing complex relationships among taxa. In this study, whole genome sequencing was performed on 53 Prunus taxa used by Burbank in his breeding experiments in the most comprehensive genetic survey of his work to date. Exact parent-offspring relationships between this population may be impossible to discern due to years of back crossing, sibling mating, and open pollination. However, the proportion of genomic similarity among these taxa provides information on the relatedness of the genotypes in Burbank's Prunus experiments, defining four primary lineages within his breeding population. These lineages comprised primarily P. salicina and P. simonii but also have influences from P. americana, P. cerasifera, P. domestica, and P. rivularis. The prevalence of P. simonii in Burbank's Prunus introductions appears to have been vastly underreported, indicating that some of the seedstock founders of his breeding population could have been P. salicina × P. simonii hybrids at the inception of his career. This research has implications for pedigree reconstruction and prioritizing conservation in collections curation for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Manas Journal of Agriculture Veterinary & Life Sciences is the property of Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Fruit appearance of apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) is accession-specific and one of the main criteria for consumer choice. Consequently, fruit appearance is an important selection criterion in the breeding of new cultivars. It is also used for the description of older varieties or landraces. In commercial apple production, sorting devices are used to classify large numbers of fruit from a few cultivars. In contrast, the description of fruit from germplasm collections or breeding programs is based on only a few fruit from many accessions and is mostly performed visually by pomology experts. Such visual ratings are laborious, often difficult to compare and remain subjective. Results: Here we report on a morphometric device, the FruitPhenoBox, for automated fruit weighing and appearance description using computer-based analysis of five images per fruit. Recording of approximately 100 fruit from each of 15 apple cultivars using the FruitPhenoBox was rapid, with an average handling and recording time of less than eleven seconds per fruit. Comparison of fruit images from the 15 apple cultivars identified significant differences in shape index, fruit width, height and weight. Fruit shape was characteristic for each cultivar, while fruit color showed larger variation within sample sets. Assessing a subset of 20 randomly selected fruit per cultivar, fruit height, width and weight were described with a relative margin of error of 2.6%, 2.2%, and 6.2%, respectively, calculated from the mean value of all available fruit. Conclusions: The FruitPhenoBox allows for the rapid and consistent description of fruit appearance from individual apple accessions. By relating the relative margin of error for fruit width, height and weight description with different sample sizes, it was possible to determine an appropriate fruit sample size to efficiently and accurately describe the recorded traits. Therefore, the FruitPhenoBox is a useful tool for breeding and the description of apple germplasm collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Life Sciences & Biotechnology (2651-4621) is the property of International Society of Academicians and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study was carried out between 2020 and 2021 on local pear genotypes grown in the Malatya region (Türkiye), especially in the yard of Apple-Pear Germplasm of Malatya Turgut Özal University. In the study, phenological, pomological, and phytochemical characteristics of nine pear genotypes were analyzed. The following dates were identified for the selected characteristics: the bud swell between March 9 and 27, the bud bursts between March 14 and April 1, the start of flowering between March 28 and April 7, full bloom between April 2 and 11, the end of flowering between April 6 and 15, harvest between August 10 and November 13, defoliation between December 3 and 17, and the number of days from full bloom to harvest ranged between 128 and 216 days. The following results were obtained: fruit weights were 46.3-202.6 g, fruit lengths were 44.8-91.2 mm, fruit diameters were 43.8-76.2 mm, fruit flesh firmness were 2.4-9.62 kg/cm2, fruit volume was 45.5-204.3 ml, and fruit color values were 21.3-77.1 as L value, -2.49-0.1 as a value, and -2.03-54 as b value. The water-soluble dry matter content of the genotypes ranged between 10.3-15.9, pH values ranged between 3.99-5.37, total phenolic content ranged between 167-992 mg GAE/1000g, and total antioxidant activities ranged from 284 to 1454 mg TEAC/1000 g. Aliseydi from the summer pear genotypes and Parlak and Armut1 genotypes from the autumn genotypes were important. It is thought that Biber, Dudunun and Efendi genotypes from winter genotypes may be important materials for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.), a member of the Saxifragaceae family, is a perennial deciduous shrub. Seeds, leaves, and fruits contain a large number of bioactive substances, which have high nutritional value and medicinal health functions. They can be widely used as natural resources in the food and pharmaceutical industries (Huo et al. 2011). Blackcurrant is mainly distributed in Heilongjiang, Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Qinghai, and other places in China. In the alpine region of Heilongjiang Province, the climate is cold, with a large temperature difference between day and night, sufficient sunlight, fertile soil, and high organic matter content, which is conducive to the accumulation of nutrients in the fruit (Zhu et al. 2022). At the same time, blackcurrant has become one of the characteristic and advantageous shrub species in Heilongjiang Province. The breeding and cultivation research on blackcurrant in this province is in its infancy, therefore the germplasm resources are relatively scarce. Currently, there are less than 10 cultivars available in production. Blackcurrant generally has shortcomings such as weak resistance to powdery mildew and poor cold resistance. Mudanjiang Branch of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences has bred four blackcurrant cultivars, ‘Zaofeng’, ‘Heifeng’, ‘Hanfeng’, and ‘Wanfeng’, through hybridization and selection that are used in production. ‘Danjianghei’ (Heilongjiang Provincial Crop Variety Approval Committee 2012046) is a new cultivar approved (registered) by Heilongjiang Provincial Crop Variety Approval Committee in 2012. ‘Danjianghei’ has a large fruit size, high yield, good quality, and resistance to blackcurrant disease characters.

Copyright of Anadolu Tarım Bilimleri Dergisi is the property of Ondokuz Mayis Universitesi, Ziraat Fakultesi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Academic Journal of Agriculture / Akademik Ziraat Dergisi is the property of University of Ordu, Faculty of Agriculture, Academic Journal of Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study was carried out in Muş province and its districts between 2020-2022. In the study, phenological, pomological and chemical properties of local pear cultivars grown in Muş ecological conditions were obtained. In the region where 42 different local pear varieties determined as a result of the studies were grown, the superior local varieties within the scope of the study were determined by using the "Weighed Rating" method. In order to compare these local varieties with each other, 24 local pear cultivars were selected with superior characteristics in terms of fruit weight, eating quality, external appearance, rustiness, water-soluble dry matter content and fruit flesh hardness as a result of the weighted grading made in 2020. These 24 selected varieties were compared according to the weighted grading results in 2021 and finally 13 local pear varieties were determined as promising. Among the promising local pear cultivars, Güz Armudu-1, Paşa Armudu-2 and Sulu Armut cultivars received the highest scores, respectively. It is aimed to increase the quality of the promising local pear varieties, thus to protect genetic resources and to reveal genotypes that may be candidates for registration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rosehip is a valuable fruit species in particular for rural populations. In this study, fruit quality parameters of 15 wild grown rosehip ecotypes naturally obtained from seeds in the Aegean Region of Türkiye were determined. The fruit weight, fruit firmness, fruit flesh ratio, fruit shape index, fruit skin color (chroma), soluble solid content, vitamin C, total phenolic, total carotenoid, total anthocyanin, total flavonoid and antioxidant capacity were investigated. The results showed great diversity among ecotypes. The fruit weight, fruit firmness, fruit flesh ratio, fruit shape index, fruit skin color (chroma) and soluble solid content were between 2.28 and 3.29 g, 4.70 and 7.12 N, 69.34 and 81.67%, 0.97 and 1.07, 53.04 and 60.71 and 18.87 and 21.28%, respectively. The total antioxidant capacity was found to be 15.78–28.17 mg AAE/g in a DPPH assay. The vitamin C content of rosehip fruits was measured as 507–621 mg/100 g. Among ecotypes, A-15 gave the biggest fruits, A-1 had the highest soluble solid content and A-13 had the highest vitamin C content. These results suggested that some ecotypes showed more potent bioactive properties than other ecotypes, mainly related to the variations in the antioxidant capacity and bioactive content between ecotypes. Overall, this study provides additional insight into investigating the genotype exhibition of multifunctional bioactive properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The renowned horticultural artist and plant breeder Luther Burbank worked with many species of plants. During his 50-year career, he introduced more than 800 cultivars, including more than 150 accessions of plums (Prunus spp.) in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Burbank preferred using wide, interspecific crosses to create a vast range of phenotypic variation and then artificially select from the extremes. Although a great artist, Burbank was a substandard scientist because he was derelict in pedigree note-taking. Although many of his introductions are extinct, hobbyists, enthusiasts, and international collections retain nearly a third of the economically viable cultivars he bred. For a century, many of his hybridizations remained inscrutable mysteries until modern genomic and computational tools developed their resolution and statistical power. Today, genotyping by sequencing (GBS) is a useful tool for pedigree reconstruction in the absence of reliable records. GBS can inform principal component analyses, identity by descent (IBD) kinship, and phylogenetic admixture, revealing complex relationships among taxa. In this study, whole genome sequencing was performed on 53 Prunus taxa used by Burbank in his breeding experiments in the most comprehensive genetic survey of his work to date. Exact parent–offspring relationships between this population may be impossible to discern due to years of back crossing, sibling mating, and open pollination. However, the proportion of genomic similarity among these taxa provides information on the relatedness of the genotypes in Burbank’s Prunus experiments, defining four primary lineages within his breeding population. These lineages comprised primarily P. salicina and P. simonii but also have influences from P. americana, P. cerasifera, P. domestica, and P. rivularis. The prevalence of P. simonii in Burbank’s Prunus introductions appears to have been vastly underreported, indicating that some of the seedstock founders of his breeding population could have been P. salicina × P. simonii hybrids at the inception of his career. This research has implications for pedigree reconstruction and prioritizing conservation in collections curation for future studies.

Local and old cultivars of fruit trees that have a historically justified distribution or are associated with a significant cultural event should be preferred for planting in historically significant sites. On the basis of long-term observation of the main biological and pomological characteristics, a selection of suitable cultivars was made, taking into account their importance from a historical point of view. The description of these selected cultivars focuses mainly on the character of growth, the selection of a suitable habitat, fruit characteristics and resistance to diseases and pests. The given set of information can serve as a recommendation for establishing plantations with the aim of saving and spreading old and regional cultivars.

Chemical thinning, the most common and cost-effective thinning method, is conducted during early apple fruit development over a 3- to 4-week period using multiple applications of plant growth regulators. It is critical to provide apple growers with tools to assess the efficacy of chemical thinners quickly and accurately because visible responses are not apparent for up to 2 weeks after application. The objective of this study was to build a model to predict apple fruitlet abscission following a chemical thinner application with in situ reflectance data obtained with a portable visible and near infrared (Vis/NIR) spectrophotometer. Developed models were compared with the currently available fruitlet growth model (FGM). ‘Honeycrisp’ fruitlet diameter and reflectance were measured on dates around a chemical thinner application across a 2-year period. After June drop, measured fruitlets were determined to have either persisted or abscised. Random forest, partial least squares regression, and XGBoost classification models were used to predict fruitlet abscission from reflectance data. Each classification model was developed with 2021, 2022, and combined 2021 + 2022 data. For each dataset, 5-fold cross validation was used to assess three model performance metrics: 1) overall accuracy, 2) recall, and 3) specificity. Datasets tested were either unbalanced, majority class down-sampled, or minority class up-sampled with synthetic minority oversampling technique. In both years, the FGM reliably estimated chemical thinner efficacy 9 days after application. Before this time point, the FGM had low prediction accuracy of the minority class in both years—persisting fruitlets in 2021 and abscising fruitlets in 2022. For reflectance spectroscopy, the developed random forest models that were balanced with synthetic minority over-sampling technique were found to be the best combination in predicting chemical thinner efficacy. The combined 2021 + 2022 dataset overall model accuracy ranged from 84% the day before to 93% at 9 days after thinner application. These results show that Vis/NIR is a promising tool to predict chemical thinner efficacy. This technology had high prediction accuracies over a range of fruitlet abscission potential and two growing seasons. Further development and testing of the model over cultivars, chemical thinner timings, and growing regions would facilitate commercialization of the technology.

Abstract Pomology, also known as fruticulture, is a significant contributor to the economies of many nations worldwide. While vertical farming methods are not well-suited for fruit cultivation, substrate-based cultivation is commonly practiced. Vertical farming methods use no soil for cultivation of the plants, and the cultivation is done in vertically stacked layers. Therefore, smaller herbs are best suited for such cultivation, whereas, the majority of the fruit trees are big and woody. Therefore, vertical farming methods are not well suited for fruit trees. However, to maximize fruit production, smarter substrate cultivation methods are needed. Utilizing remote sensing techniques, such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices, agriculture sensors, and cloud computing, allows for precision agriculture and smart farming in autonomous systems. Nevertheless, a lack of understanding of fruit nutrient requirements, growing conditions, and soil health conditions can result in reduced fruit production. To address these challenges, this paper proposes an intelligent model based on machine learning that recommends the best fruit to grow based on prevailing soil and climatic conditions. The system is trained on a dataset that includes details on eleven different fruits, such as Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), Potassium (K), temperature, humidity, pH, and rainfall. The model takes into account the soil type and nutrient contents to recommend the most suitable fruit to grow in the prevailing climate. To enhance the model's efficiency, two novel techniques, Gradient-based Side Sampling (GOSS) and Exclusive Feature Bundling (EFB), have been incorporated. The results show that the proposed system has achieved 99% accuracy in recommending the right fruit based on the given environmental conditions. As a result, this system has the potential to significantly improve the profitability of the pomology industry and boost national economies.

Apple (Malus ×domestica L. Borkh.) growers need tools to predict the efficacy of chemical thinners that are applied to induce fruitlet abscission to aid in crop load management decisions. Recently, reflectance spectroscopy-based models to predict fruitlet abscission rates were developed. Using spectroscopy, persisting fruitlets had lower reflectance in the red-light (~600 nm) and near infrared (~950 nm) regions than abscising fruitlets. The goal of this study was to better understand how reflectance models distinguished between fruitlets that ultimately persisted or abscised. Individual models for the difference and ratio of each combination of wavelengths were developed to identify key wavelengths for abscission prediction from reflectance models. Accuracy for wavelength difference and ratio models was improved for all model prediction dates when reflectance (R) from R640-675 was subtracted from or divided by R675-696. This spectra region indicates differences in chlorophyll content between persisting and abscising fruitlets. Calculation of the chlorophyll concentration index (R522-579:R640-700) from nondestructively measured spectra supported this result. Chlorophyll concentration index was higher for fruitlets that ultimately persisted than abscised fruitlets (P < 0.01) for all measurement dates -1 to 9 days after thinner (DAT) in both years, except -1 DAT in 2021 (P = 0.468). Plant water index (R950-970:R890-900) was lower for persisting than abscising fruitlets for 3 to 9 DAT in 2021 (P < 0.001) and on -1 (P < 0.01) and 9 DAT (P < 0.001) in 2022. The relationship of fruit size and plant pigment (anthocyanins or chlorophyll) content in fruitlets to reflectance spectra between persisting and abscising fruitlets was also followed. Fruitlet persistence or abscission was predicted from developed models for destructively sampled fruitlets using measured reflectance spectra. Whole-fruit chlorophyll content was numerically higher in fruitlets predicted to persist than abscise for all collection dates. Higher total chlorophyll was correlated to a larger fruit size in persisting than abscising fruitlets. This higher chlorophyll content led to a lower reflectance of red light and was a key factor in model development. These results indicate that chlorophyll and water content can distinguish physiological parameters between persisting and abscising fruitlets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical thinning, the most common and cost-effective thinning method, is conducted during early apple fruit development over a 3- to 4-week period using multiple applications of plant growth regulators. It is critical to provide apple growers with tools to assess the efficacy of chemical thinners quickly and accurately because visible responses are not apparent for up to 2 weeks after application. The objective of this study was to build a model to predict apple fruitlet abscission following a chemical thinner application with in situ reflectance data obtained with a portable visible and near infrared (Vis/NIR) spectrophotometer. Developed models were compared with the currently available fruitlet growth model (FGM). 'Honeycrisp' fruitlet diameter and reflectance were measured on dates around a chemical thinner application across a 2-year period. After June drop, measured fruitlets were determined to have either persisted or abscised. Random forest, partial least squares regression, and XGBoost classification models were used to predict fruitlet abscission from reflectance data. Each classification model was developed with 2021, 2022, and combined 2021 + 2022 data. For each dataset, 5-fold cross validation was used to assess three model performance metrics: 1) overall accuracy, 2) recall, and 3) specificity. Datasets tested were either unbalanced, majority class downsampled, or minority class up-sampled with synthetic minority oversampling technique. In both years, the FGM reliably estimated chemical thinner efficacy 9 days after application. Before this time point, the FGM had low prediction accuracy of the minority class in both years--persisting fruitlets in 2021 and abscising fruitlets in 2022. For reflectance spectroscopy, the developed random forest models that were balanced with synthetic minority over-sampling technique were found to be the best combination in predicting chemical thinner efficacy. The combined 2021 + 2022 dataset overall model accuracy ranged from 84% the day before to 93% at 9 days after thinner application. These results show that Vis/NIR is a promising tool to predict chemical thinner efficacy. This technology had high prediction accuracies over a range of fruitlet abscission potential and two growing seasons. Further development and testing of the model over cultivars, chemical thinner timings, and growing regions would facilitate commercialization of the technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pomology, also known as fruticulture, is a significant contributor to the economies of many nations worldwide. While vertical farming methods are not well-suited for fruit cultivation, substrate-based cultivation is commonly practiced. Vertical farming methods use no soil for cultivation of the plants, and the cultivation is done in vertically stacked layers. Therefore, smaller herbs are best suited for such cultivation, whereas, the majority of the fruit trees are big and woody. Therefore, vertical farming methods are not well suited for fruit trees. However, to maximize fruit production, smarter substrate cultivation methods are needed. Utilizing remote sensing techniques, such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices, agriculture sensors, and cloud computing, allows for precision agriculture and smart farming in autonomous systems. Nevertheless, a lack of understanding of fruit nutrient requirements, growing conditions, and soil health conditions can result in reduced fruit production. To address these challenges, this paper proposes an intelligent model based on machine learning that recommends the best fruit to grow based on prevailing soil and climatic conditions. The system is trained on a dataset that includes details on eleven different fruits, such as Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), Potassium (K), temperature, humidity, pH, and rainfall. The model takes into account the soil type and nutrient contents to recommend the most suitable fruit to grow in the prevailing climate. To enhance the model's efficiency, two novel techniques, Gradient-based Side Sampling (GOSS) and Exclusive Feature Bundling (EFB), have been incorporated. The results show that the proposed system has achieved 99% accuracy in recommending the right fruit based on the given environmental conditions. As a result, this system has the potential to significantly improve the profitability of the pomology industry and boost national economies.Article Highlights: This article aims at the creation of an efficient recommendation model for fruit cultivation in soil medium by analyzing the soil nutrient contents and the existing climatic conditions. The most suitable fruit plant corresponding to the existing conditions and soil type is recommended for an enhanced yield of the plant. Three climatic parameters, i.e., temperature, humidity, and rainfall; along with four soil-based parameters, i.e., pH, N content, P content, and K content are considered as the required growing condition for eleven varieties of fruits. To ensure enhanced accuracy, a hundred entries for each fruit type is entered in the dataset. The created dataset is then divided in the proportion of 7:3 as training data: testing data and Light Gradient Boosting Machine (Light GBM) model is applied to the created dataset. The correlation of all the parameters is checked for an efficient recommendation of fruits. Finally, the model is evaluated and its efficiency is checked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effects of cultivars on dry nut weight, kernel weight, oil content, and the main fatty acids of some cultivars and genotypes of almond, this study was conducted in 2019 in randomized complete blocks design with three replications. The findings revealed that the influence of genotype on all measured traits is significant. The results of oil content showed that D124 had the highest values in terms of oil content. Also, examination of kernel weight shows that there are significant differences between cultivars. So that the highest amount of kernel weight is related to genotype D at 2.19 grams, while the lowest amount of kernel weight is related to A5-17genotype at 0.52 grams. The investigation of nut weight analysis showed that genotype D had the highest value (6.40grams). All the traits considered in this research can be said that the D124 genotype and cultivars of Sahand, Shahroud 6, Saba, and Ruby respectively had oil content of 62.24, 62.12, 61.62, 60.41 and. 60.29 percent. In total, regarding to the all traits considered in this study, genotype D124 in the amount of 62.24% and then cultivars, Sahand, Shahroud 6, Saba, Ruby with oil values of 62.12%, 61.62%, 60.41% and 60.29, respectively. Also, palmitic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid in D124, Sahand, Shahroud 6, Saba, and Ruby were (5.44, 73.30 and 21.14%), (4.85, 76.33, and 18.48%), (5.64, 80.11 and 14.31%), (5.30, 73.89 and 20.80%) and (5.21, 77.44, and 16.32%) respectively. These are identified as the best cultivars and genotypes in terms of food quality in the climatic conditions of Karaj, which can be used for nutritional or technical applications to provide conditions for almond production and cultivation development.

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the fruit quality characteristics and biochemical properties of Mondial Gala, Jeromine, and Granny Smith cultivars grafted on M9 full-dwarf clonal rootstock and Granny Smith, Fuji, Galaxy Gala, Red Chief, and Scarlett Spur cultivars grafted on MM 106 semi-dwarf clonal rootstock grown in Ordu (Türkiye) ecological conditions. During the research, fruit weight, fruit dimensional characteristics, fruit firmness, color characteristics, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, pH, vitamin C, total phenolic, total flavonoid and antioxidant activity of the cultivars were investigated. In the study, it was determined that, fruit weight, fruit firmness, SSC and Vitamin C 185.40 g (Mondial Gala/M9)- 284.03 g (Scarlet Spur/MM 106), 69.73 N (Galaxy Gala/MM 106)-84.47 N (Granny Smith/M9), 8.29% (Scarlett Spur/MM 106)-14.27% (Fuji/MM 106), 58.00 mg (Scarlet Spur/MM 106)-112.33 mg (Granny Smith/M9), respectively. In addition, it was determined that Granny Smith, Red Chief, Mondial Gala, and Jeromine cultivars stand out in terms of bioactive compounds that positively affect human health compared to other cultivars. As a result, it has been revealed that apple cultivars grafted on M9 and MM 106 clone rootstocks examined in the study can be grown in high quality in Ordu ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted during the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons to determine the yield performances, phenological and pomological characteristics of ten 21-year-old loquat cultivars grown under Mediterranean conditions at Dörtyol, Hatay, Turkey. The flowering of the cultivars was observed in detail and the earliest flowering was found in 'Akko XIII' and the latest in 'Ottaviani' cultivars. Among the tested cultivars, the highest yield was found in 'Champion' (168 kg tree-1, 387.36 g cm-2) whereas the earliest and latest ripening cultivars were found as 'Akko XIII' and 'Lapta M', respectively. The highest values in terms of fruit weight, seed weight and seed number were obtained from 'Baduna 5' variety as 50.60 g, 9.59 g and 4.50 fruits, respectively. In terms of fruit flesh/seed ratio, 'Hafif Çukurgöbek' (5.33) had the highest value, while 'Lapta M' (3.29) had the lowest. The highest total soluble solids, pH and acidity values were measured in 'Hafif Çukurgöbek' (13.70%), 'Lapta B2' (3.85) and 'Lapta M' (1.15), respectively. The cultivars used in the study were compared using the Weighted-Rankit Method according to their important characteristics and the cultivar 'Hafif Cukurgöbek' got the highest score. However, the results showed that most of the cultivars used in the experiment, except 'Lapta M', could be grown economically in the Mediterranean climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Academic Journal of Agriculture / Akademik Ziraat Dergisi is the property of University of Ordu, Faculty of Agriculture, Academic Journal of Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study was carried out in the application area of Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University Agricultural Research and Application Center in order to determine the adaptation abilities of Heritage, Tulameen, Canby raspberry varieties in Bilecik conditions between 2020-2021. In terms of average fruit weights, there was no statistical difference between the varieties in the two years of the experiment. When the average fruit weight and fruit width were examined in both years, the best result was obtained from the Heritage variety. The highest fruit length was found in Tulameen (19.30 mm) in 2020, and in Heritage (19.62 mm) in 2021. In 2021, the highest amount of watersoluble dry matter was determined in Heritage (11.35%), pH Tulameen (3.77), and titratable acid content in Canby (4.03%). When the results obtained in the two years of the experiment were evaluated, it was determined that the Heritage variety was at the forefront. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out between 2019-2021 in order to examine the phenological, yield and pomological properties of 'Chandler' cultivar grafted on Kaman-1 and Serr cultivars and Keles genotype used as seedling rootstock. Bud swelling, bud break, leafing, receptivity dates in male and female blooming were recorded as phenological trait of the trees. Fruit weight, fruit size, kernel percent and kernel rottenness-shrinkage ratio were evaluated as pomological properties of fruits. In study leafing, male and female blooming in trees grafted on Keles occurred later than in trees grafted on other rootstocks. The effect of rootstocks was found to be significant in 'Chandler' cultivar and higher values were obtained from trees grafted on Kaman-1 and Serr rootstock. The effect of rootstocks on yield was significant, higher values were obtained from the trees grafted on Kaman-1 and Serr rootstock. In the study, the effects of rootstocks on fruit quality characteristics such as kernel weight, kernel percent, shell thickness and kernel rottenness found to be significant differences. It was determined that Serr and Keles rootstocks gave better results, especially in terms of high kernel percent and low kernel rottennes, which are considered to be economically important parameters in nuts. When the study results were evaluated in general, it was concluded that the performance of Serr rootstock was better than the other rootstocks used in the study in terms of yield and fruit quality parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Digital technologies are increasingly used in agriculture to solve a variety of problems. However, in horticulture and industrial production of fruit and berry crops, qualitative evaluation and scoring of the most important morphological indicators of fruits are still common, and measurements are carried out manually. The aim of this study was to develop an algorithm for using the ImageJ package for quick and accurate measurements of the size and shape of berries.Materials and methods. The material included 190 berries of 3 blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.) cultivars: ‘Amazonka’, ‘Lazurit’, and ‘Lenita’. The berries were laid out on a white sheet of paper with a ruler on top of the glass and photographed with additional lighting from below. The analysis of the obtained images was carried out using the public domain package ImageJ (v. 1.51k) and included automatic search for objects and their measurement by 7 indicators: area, perimeter, maximum and minimum Feret diameters, aspect ratio, circularity, and surface roundness (1-Solidity). Statistical analysis included the calculation of the minimum, maximum and mean values with a nonparametric 95% CI (bootstrap, percentile method), comparison of cultivars using the Kruskal–Wallis test, and search for the most typical objects based on the results of a between-group PCA.Results. It was shown how the size and shape indicators from the ImageJ package related to classical measurements in pomology, including length, diameter, and berry shape index. For all indicators, the differences between cultivars were highly statistically significant (p < 0.001). The prospects of using the surface roughness index for quantitative characterization of the degree of deviation of fruits from their natural shape due to mechanical and other deformations are discussed.Conclusion. The results of the automatic image analysis in the ImageJ package can be used in horticulture, breeding, and production of fruits and berries.

The 'Anna' apple is a variety of low requirements of winter chill (250 to 300 chilling hours ≤7.2°C). This apple has essential health benefits and remarkable adaptive potential in tropical and subtropical areas affected by climate change. Thus, this review presents the significance of the 'Anna' apple cultivation, the phenological and eco-physiological modifications, and the current state of agronomic management when continuous crops are managed in tropical highlands. The production of this apple in tropical highlands has outstanding potential to obtain cyclical or continuous harvests (two harvests per year) in certain areas with specific environmental conditions, implementing a particular management system. In plantations, it is crucial to carry out some agronomic practices during the reproductive phenology so that the apple tree does not enter into an endodormancy. These are water stress - defoliation - tie-down branches, and the application of dormancy-breaking agents (flower-inducing compounds). In Colombia, ‘Anna’ variety was introduced in 1985 and is grown in areas with temperatures between 14 and 20°C, altitudes between 1700 and 2800 meters above sea level (m a.s.l.), with bimodal and monomodal rain regimes, and solar brightness between 800 and 2000 hours a year. The harvest is between 100 to 120 days after anthesis, with firmness values of 38.38N, a soluble solids content of 8.58°Brix, and total titratable acidity of 0.7% of the fruit. This documentation indicates a good production with great potential in terms of growth and development, earliness, and quality of the 'Anna' apple tree in Colombian highlands.

Copyright of Erzincan University Journal of Science & Technology is the property of Erzincan Binali Yildirim Universitesi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cornus mas L. is a type of fruit preferred by consumers due to its rich bioactive compounds, attractive appearance, unique taste, high biological activities, sensory properties and nutritional properties. Morphological and molecular characterization of 61 C. mas genotypes collected from the flora of Bolu province was carried out in the current study. According to the two-year average data, the fruit and core weights of the genotypes showed significant variation with ranges from 1.44 to 3.37 g and from 0.19 to 1.13 g, respectively. The soluble solids content, pH, and titratable acidity values changed between 10.37 and 21.22%, 3.45 and 2.44, and 1.01% and 2.46%, respectively. Inter-primer binding site (iPBS) retrotransposon markers were evaluated for genetic variation among C. mas genotypes for the first time worldwide. Five iPBS markers amplified 80 fragments, 60 polymorphic (75%) with an average of 12 polymorphic bands per primer. Each of the selected iPBS markers supplied adequate separation power. Polymorphism information content and resolution power of markers ranged from 0.18 to 0.28 and from 3.57 to 8.43, with averages of 0.24 and 5.52, respectively. The iPBS primer 2378 had the highest polymorphism rate value (88.89%), whereas iPBS primers 2242 and 2232 had the lowest (66.67%) phylogenetic analysis grouped genotypes into three main groups. The unweighted pair groups method using arithmetic averages, principal coordinate, and structure analyses confirmed a high level of genetic diversity among the investigated genotypes in this work. The findings will help to plant breeders to characterize C. mas genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Academic Journal of Agriculture / Akademik Ziraat Dergisi is the property of University of Ordu, Faculty of Agriculture, Academic Journal of Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) is grown across a wide geographical area and has been cultivated in Azerbaijan for more than three thousand years. The purpose of the study was to characterize the apricot varieties and forms collected from the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. Fourty-four apricot varieties and forms were studied according to 10 (phenological, pomological, morphological) parameters. A wide variation was found between yield, total soluble solids and fruit weight among varieties and forms. Fruits of the most of apricot varieties and forms were small, only two of them—Hampa and Limon Erik 2—had a fruit weight more than 50 g. In general, the fruits had yellow skin and flesh with high total soluble solids (TSS). Five varieties are characterized by orange, two by white, and three by yellowish-green skin ground color (SGC). A high correlation was found between several morphological and pomological features. Maximum Pearson correlation indices were found between bud break season and blossom season, fruit weight and fruit length, blossom season and harvest season. Fruits that were longer and wider had high fruit weight. The results of the PC (principal component) analysis revealed the first four components (PC1 - PC4) explained by 87.49% of the variance observed between varieties and forms. The presented study shows that the more attractive and yellow-skinned Azerbaijani apricot varieties and forms are suitable to produce dried apricots. Data from statistical analysis can be used to select different varieties and forms for apricot breeding programs. The research will provide a solid basis for the effective management and sustainable use of apricot germplasms for future breeding programs in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

‘Bahri Koz’ is a walnut cultivar that reaches a mid-early harvest maturity and has some superior fruit traits. In 2019, the cultivar was registered and patented by the Variety Registration and Seed Certification Center of the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. To determine the pomological and phenological traits of the ‘Bahri Koz’, 27 different traits were examined. The pomological analysis determined that the in-shell nut weight of ‘Bahri Koz’ was 12-14 g, the kernel weight was 6.5-7.0 g, and the kernel ratio was 51-54%. The shell and kernel of the cultivar were determined to be light in color and the surface of the shell to have a smooth structure. ‘Bahri Koz’ had superior traits compared to the ‘Chandler’ cultivar in terms of some of the pomological parameters such as in-shell nut weight, kernel weight, and kernel percentage. The new cultivar was seen to reach leafing, harvest maturity, and defoliation at an earlier date than ‘Chandler’. The dichogamy status of the cultivar was determined to be protandrous and in this respect, a pollinator cultivar was recommended for the establishment of orchards with ‘Bahri Koz’. This cultivar was also shown to be rich in lipid and unsaturated fatty acid content.

Rosehip is a valuable fruit species in particular for rural populations. In this study, fruit quality parameters of 15 wild grown rosehip ecotypes naturally obtained from seeds in the Aegean Region of Türkiye were determined. The fruit weight, fruit firmness, fruit flesh ratio, fruit shape index, fruit skin color (chroma), soluble solid content, vitamin C, total phenolic, total carotenoid, total anthocyanin, total flavonoid and antioxidant capacity were investigated. The results showed great diversity among ecotypes. The fruit weight, fruit firmness, fruit flesh ratio, fruit shape index, fruit skin color (chroma) and soluble solid content were between 2.28 and 3.29 g, 4.70 and 7.12 N, 69.34 and 81.67%, 0.97 and 1.07, 53.04 and 60.71 and 18.87 and 21.28%, respectively. The total antioxidant capacity was found to be 15.78–28.17 mg AAE/g in a DPPH assay. The vitamin C content of rosehip fruits was measured as 507–621 mg/100 g. Among ecotypes, A-15 gave the biggest fruits, A-1 had the highest soluble solid content and A-13 had the highest vitamin C content. These results suggested that some ecotypes showed more potent bioactive properties than other ecotypes, mainly related to the variations in the antioxidant capacity and bioactive content between ecotypes. Overall, this study provides additional insight into investigating the genotype exhibition of multifunctional bioactive properties.

Copyright of Harran Journal of Agricultural & Food Science is the property of Harran University, Faculty of Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The influence of five open-pollinated seedling rootstocks and two marketed seed lots (as the controls) were assessed on pomological, biochemical, and organoleptic traits of four apple cultivars ( Malusxdomestica Borkh.), grown in Meshkin Abad Horticultural Research Station (Karaj, Iran). The maternal parents, as the three crabs 'Zinati', 'Morabbaei', and 'Azayesh' along with the standard trees 'Northern Spy' and 'Golden Karaj' were selected as the seed sources through a breeding program in 2003. The present study was achieved on the 4- and 5-year-old trees, spindle formed, planted in 3.5x4 m, and drop irrigated in 28 combinations (four cultivars onto 5+2 rootstocks, distributed in four distinct parcels). The investigation was carried out on pomological traits based on UPOV scales, as well as biochemical and organoleptic traits. Higher fruit length, diameter, and weight were recorded for the cultivars grafted onto 'Northern Spy', followed by 'Zinati' and 'Morabbaei' seed sources. 'Zinati' F1 crab seedling induced higher flesh firmness combined with the four scions. The crab seedling rootstocks 'Zinati' followed by 'Azayesh' caused a higher organoleptic scent, flavor, and sweetness attributed by the panel members. Moreover, pH, TA, and TSS were influenced by scion, while rootstock effect was negligible. These results indicated that F1 half-sib seedling rootstocks positively influenced the pomological and organoleptic traits and improved the fruit's quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turkey is among the rare countries in terms of plant diversity, and thus, most plant species spread widely throughout the country. Apricot is one of these plant species. Due to the self-incompatibility seen in apricots, it is necessary to use a pollinator variety for a quality and efficient product. With this study carried out in 2021 year, the effects of different pollinators on fruit set and some fruit quality parameters of Casne Drenova, Ninfa and P. de Tyrinthe cultivars were investigated in Kayseri ecological conditions. In the study, early ripening apricot varieties were used as paternal parent. According to the results of the study, it was shown that fruit set values varied between 11.6% and 22.6%. In the pomological parameters examined in the study, in general (except for fruit firmness), differences were found in combinations using different pollinators compared to the open pollinated fruits of the maternal parent. It is foreseen that the results obtained will be guiding especially in the breeding studies to be carried out with these varieties and in the establishment of new orchards.

Copyright of Academic Journal of Agriculture / Akademik Ziraat Dergisi is the property of University of Ordu, Faculty of Agriculture, Academic Journal of Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Rosaceae family is characterized by the large number of genus and species which are of great importance for horticulture. The main goal of this research was to analyze pomological traits in order to determine biodiversity existence between five genotypes (G) of genus Rosa belonging to four different taxons (G1 - Rosa canina L., G2 - Rosa corymbifera Borkh., G3 - Rosa canina L. var. squarrosa A. Rau Rosa squarrosa (A. Rau) Boreau, G4 - Rosa subcanina (Christ.) Vuk., G5 - Rosa corymbifera Borkh) in continental part of Croatia during two years. Genotype had significant effect on all pomological traits, while year and interaction between year and genotype affected the majority of pomological traits. Multivariate discriminant analysis successfully explained 77.48% of total variability. It achieved separation of genotypes G5 and G1 from genotypes G2 and G4 using canonical axis 1 (Can1) (46.74% of total variability mostly influenced fruit length, width, volume, surface, and shape index). Likewise, genotype G2 was separated from genotype G3 by the Can2 axis (30.74% of total variability mostly influenced by fruit mass). Since genotypes G2 and G5 were of the same species (Rosa corymbifera), their separation by Can1 axis indicates notable effect of ecological factors on pomological traits, which was not the case for Rosa canina genotypes (G1 and G3) where no separation occurred, indicating major effect of hereditary factors on studied pomological traits on this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Harran Journal of Agricultural & Food Science is the property of Harran University, Faculty of Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study was conducted during the growing season of (2021) on grape vines in one of the private fields in Chiman Kirkuk government at the age of 9 years with three levels of foliar spraying with boron (0, 20, 40 mg.L-1) using boric acid as a source of boron and the second factor using calcium chloride as a source calcium in three concentrations (0, 2, 4) g. L-1 to study the Effect of foliar application of calcium and boron on the growth and yield and quality attributes of grape CV. HALAWANY, the result obtained that the treatment with boron and calcium affected grapes and recorded the highest value in the percentage (leaf area, chlorophyll content of leaves). The average number of beads in the cluster, Average cluster weight, Total soluble solids percentage, the percentage of total sugars in the juice, vitamin C and reduced titrability acidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) is an important fruit crop and member of the Prunus genus of the Rosaceae family that is planted in many temperate regions worldwide. The quality of fruit is assessed by many pomological parameters which can serve as a decisive factor in apricot breeding, because the introduction of new cultivars is required. These parameters can differ with climate conditions, geographical location or geographic ecological origin. Similarly, another biological characteristic can be measured depending on these terms. The present study was conducted with the aim of estimating pomological traits together with the nuclear DNA content of 35 apricot cultivars with different geographical origins. Only CV values lower than 5% were considered in flow cytometry analysis. All analyzed cultivars were diploid and the genome size value ranged from 0.587 to 0.644 pg/2C, where Turkish apricots reached the highest value (on average 0.628 pg/2C) followed by the European group (on average 0.625 pg/2C). A Spearman-rank correlation was used and the different correlation was found for specific geographical groups of apricot cultivars. The genome size values of apricots and related botanical species P. mume, P. sibirica and P. ansu showed to be very similar values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]