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In an effort to mitigate the environmental impact of chemical fertilizers, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have emerged as a more sustainable alternative. Streptomyces saraceticus 31 ('SS31'), a new strain of biocontrol bacteria, was inoculated into rhizosphere soils of 'Benifuji' grape to evaluate its impact on grape roots and berries. The results indicated significant improvements in soil fertility, with higher levels of organic matter, phosphorus, potassium, and nitrate nitrogen compared with those of the controls. Moreover, 'SS31' application elicited a notable reduction in soil pH levels, along with a substantial augmentation in the enzymatic activities of both phosphatase and invertase. The grapes treated with 'SS31' exhibited a notable increase in the number, length, surface area, and volume of fine roots in both 0- to 10-cm and 10- to 20-cm soil profiles. The application of 'SS31' resulted in the observation of greater diameter, lower density, and larger lumen area, along with increased specific hydraulic conductivity in the vessels of roots with 1- to 2-mm diameters. Despite a slight reduction in berry weight compared with that of the controls, 'Benifuji' grape berries displayed higher total soluble solids and lower total titratable acidity after 'SS31' application. Furthermore, 'SS31' treatment elevated the levels of volatile compounds in berries, especially fatty acid-derived compounds. A network analysis revealed a robust positive correlation between the observed improvements in grape berry quality and the morphology as well as the hydraulic conductivity of the grape fine roots. In conclusion, these findings suggest that 'SS31' has the potential to enhance grape root function by expanding the root absorption area and facilitating water transportation. This, in turn, may improve the flavor and aroma of 'Benifuji' grape berries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of water deficit severity and the specific growth stages at which water stress is applied have been found to have significant implications for both tomato yield and fruit quality. Recent findings have highlighted the influence of water deficits during the reproductive phase on tomato fruit quality. This study aimed to assess the effects of deficit irrigation on tomato fruit quality and overall plant productivity. Cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) were grown in a greenhouse from August to November 2022. Three distinct watering regimes were implemented: Daily watering (T1), watering every 3 days (T2) and watering every 7 days (T3), starting from the flowering stage and continuing through subsequent plant development stages. The mean soil metric potentials (SMP) were -4.9, -29.7 and -52.8 kPa for T1, T2 and T3, respectively. Various traits of fruit size, fruit biomass, total soluble solids (TSS), water content, glucose content and lycopene content were measured. Additionally, the overall plant biomass and root-to-shoot ratio were evaluated. The results revealed that traits of the fruit size, such as diameter, length, volume and fresh weight, were most favorable when plants were subjected to the T2 watering regime, while higher and lower watering frequencies led to smaller fruit sizes. Interestingly, the TSS concentration had the most pronounced response to drought stress, indicating increased fruit sweetness. However, the fruit water content, glucose content and lycopene content remained unaffected by the different watering regimes. Furthermore, plants subjected to the T3 with the minimum SMP at -196.4 kPa exhibited enhanced development of the root system, prioritizing resource acquisition such as water and mineral nutrients over shoot components. In conclusion, this study provided valuable insights for agricultural practitioners, offering a range of alternatives that can inform optimal irrigation strategies that effectively enhance the quality of cherry tomato yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Arable regions often have insufficient soil nutrients, which means that fertilizers must be used. However, using fertilizers excessively can harm the environment, human health, and food safety. Natural growth regulators derived from plants are environmentally friendly and reasonably priced. Salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) phytohormones are crucial for enhancing plant biomass, quality, productivity, and resistance to environmental stresses. Objective. To evaluate the foliar effect of MeJA and SA on fruit quality and production of cvs. colorful tomato under greenhouse conditions. Materials and methods. The trial was carried out in the University of Diyala, Iraq, from 1 December, 2022 to 5 June 2023. Foliar of 0, 200 mg/L SA and or 200 mg/L MeJA was evaluated to determine effects on fruit quality and production of colorful cherry tomato cultivars indeterminate: LA4013, LA353, LA2921, LA3899 and IQ2, with a randomized complete block design with each treatment having three replicates. Results. The cv. IQ2 had the heaviest fruit (82.13 g), highest yield (4.56 kg/plant), total yield (4.56 t/house) and highest treatable acidity (0.62 %). The cv. LA4013 had a higher fruit number (612.88 fruit/plant) and the highest total soluble solids (2.933 %). Foliar of SA at 200 mg/L had the highest chlorophyll index (36.68 SPAD) highest fruits per plant (373.73), highest yield (3.15 kg/plant) and total yield (3.93 t/house). Conclusion. When considering all variables together, the best genotypes were IQ2 and LA4013, which were found to be superior to the other genotypes in quality and yield trials. The 200 mg/L foliar SA improved the yield and quality of cherry tomatoes under greenhouse conditions.

Postharvest loss in tomatoes is significantly high after harvest, due to several factors. The study on the effect of different concentrations of calcium chloride on shelf life and quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) at the time of storage was done at the Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC), Tarahara, Sunsari, from February to March 2023. Tomato (Srijana variety) fruit with stem stalk was harvested at breaker stage and dipped either in distilled water as a control or in different concentrations of calcium chloride (CaCl2) (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3%) for 15 minutes. The fruits were then air-dried and stored at ambient temperatures. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications and seven treatments at the ambient room temperature of 20±2 oC and an RH of 60±2%. The shelf life and physicochemical characteristics of tomato fruit were studied at a 2-day interval during storage. The parameters recorded were physiological loss in weight (PLW), juice content (JC), total soluble solids (TSS), acidity (A), and pH in everyday intervals up to 16 days. Among the different treatments used in the laboratory, CaCl2 at 3% concentration was found to be the most effective in reducing the physiological loss in weight (12.65%), highest acidity (0.72%), lowest pH (4.27), lowest TSS (5.13 °Brix), and highest juice recovery (22.64%). It was observed that tomatoes treated with calcium chloride had an extended shelf life and quality for 16 days compared to those left untreated (control). [Fundam Appl Agric 2024; 9(3.000): 213-219]

Yellow pitahaya (Selenicereus megalanthus Haw.) is an exotic fruit with great potential for exportation in Ecuador. The research was carried out with the objective of evaluating the fruit growth and ripening as affected by four elicitors: salicylic acid (SA), methyl salicylate (MeSa), methyl jasmonate (MeJa), and oxalic acid (OA), all of them at 1, 5, and 10 mM concentration, compared with untreated plants (control). For each elicitor, nine plants were selected, and on each plant, three fruits were marked to follow up the growth by measuring polar and equatorial diameters. At harvest, yield (kg plant−1 and number of fruits plant−1), fruit weight, percentage of pulp and skin, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), and firmness were determined. Treated plants enhanced fruit size, crop yield, and fruit weight compared with control fruits, although results depended on the elicitor tested and applied doses. The highest and lowest TSS were found in 10 mM MeSa and 5 mM MeJa-treated fruit, respectively, while the highest TA content was shown in 5 mM SA. Firmness was only enhanced in MeJa-treated fruits. Overall, results suggest that preharvest use of elicitors could modulate the pitahaya ripening and could improve quality attributes at harvest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sauce can be defined as a flavorful liquid, usually thickened, used to season, liquid, usually thickened, used to season, flavor and enhance other foods. Onion is widely cultivated, second only to tomato, and is a vegetable bulb crop known to most cultures and consumed worldwide. Even yet, longterm storage of onions in bulk can result in significant losses of up to 25%- 30%. The present study aimed to develop and standardize the Onion sauce, assess its sensory, nutrition, texture, physicochemical and microbial analysis for a period of 60 days. Two types of Onion sauce were prepared with the variations in the ingredients. The sample A had the highest overall acceptability score (8.10) in sensory attributes. The moisture value of newly developed onion sauce was found to be 80.28g. The onion sauce contains low amount of fat 0.14g. The product contains very less content of sodium content (245.04g). The viscosity of onion sauce was identified to be a type of non-newtonian fluid with pseudoplastic behaviour. Physicochemical analysis indicated that the TSS and the titratable acidity values (21.90 °Brix and 1.20%) of newly developed onion sauce (21.90 °Brix) was found to be acceptable and was within the FSSAI limits for sauce. The color of onion sauce was good and brighter in color. The microbial results shows that the product had very low microbial colonies, no pathogenic organisms and no yeast and mold count on the 0th day, 30th day and 60th day of storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Physalis peruviana L. is a short perennial shrub that is a member of the Solanaceae family. These fruits have many benefits for human health because of their nutritional and bioactive compounds (vitamins (A, B, C and K), essential fats and etc.) and reduced the risk of diseases such as cancer, malaria, asthma, hepatitis, dermatitis and rheumatism. Therefore, it has received special attention for cultivation all over the world. Increasing crop production and mitigating abiotic stresses are major challenges under extreme climatic environments and intense farming activities. Crop management strategies such as deficit irrigation can decrease soil evaporation, runoff, and plant transpiration, and increase water use efficiency (WUE) and water conservation. In addition to these practices, organic input, which includes the application of organic materials such as compost and humic substances, is an additional strategy that increases soil water retention and can potentially improve plant WUE. Water is crucial for agriculture and needs to be used effectively due to climate change and drought in Iran. For this reason, to adapt to water deficit scenarios, deficit irrigation applications are increasing in importance. Water availability is expected to be a growth limiting factor that would affect fruit yield in Physalis peruviana due to reduced flower set and elevated floral abscission rate. Materials and Methods In order to investigate the effect of humic acid on physiological characteristics, yield and fruit quality of Physalis peruviana under deficit irrigation conditions, a split plot experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications was conducted during 2021. Treatments consisted arrangement of three levels of irrigation (starting irrigation at 100, 80 and 60% ETc (crop evapotranspiration)) and three levels of humic acid (0, 1.5 and 3 kg ha-1). The seeds of Physalis peruviana were sown in seedling trays contain peat moss. The seedlings were grown under normal conditions (25±2 °C/day and 20±2 °C at night with 60-65% RH). Plant height, total chlorophyll, fruit yield per plant, total soluble solid content, titratable acidity, vitamin C content and water use efficiency were measured. Statistical analyses were performed with SAS V9.3, and means comparison were separated by Duncan’s multiple range tests at p < 0.05. Results and Discussion The results showed that deficit irrigation significantly reduced growth, fruit yield, vitamin C and increased water use efficiency (WUE) and Total soluble solid content of Physalis peruviana. The soil application of humic acid significantly increased total chlorophyll, fruit quality and yield, and decreased leaf electrolyte leakage under normal and deficit irrigation, thus, the deficit irrigation 60 ETc% decreased the plant height by 18.6% and the fruit yield by 22.2% compared to irrigation 100 ETc%. The maximum plant length (200.3 cm), total chlorophyll content (2.42 mg g-1FW) and fruit yield (4793.3 kg ha-1) were observed in plants treated with 3 kg ha-1 humic acid under 100% ETc irrigation. The highest value of total soluble solid (12.6 B°), antioxidant activity (90.06 %) and WUE (1.23 kg m-3) were obtained with 3 kg ha-1 soil application of humic acid under deficit irrigation 60% ETc. The application of 3 kg ha-1 humic acid under 100 and 80 %ETc irrigation increased the fruit yield by 25% and 4%, respectively, compared to the control plants (non treated with humic acid) under irrigation100 ETc% and under deficit irrigation 60 ETc%, with decreasing 11% fruit yield, water consumption was saved by 40%. Soil and crop management practices that alter plant water and nutrient availability could affect the processes of crop evapotranspiration and WUE, which can influence the yield and fruit quality by changing the internal nutrient and water balance. Incorporating organic matter within a crop growth system either as leaf spray or soil mix is a complementary strategy to improve crop growth and WUE. By inducing antioxidant enzyme activities, HS could assist plants in stomata functioning, thereby closing stomata more efficiently under drought stress, which results in plant water conservation. The reason of the difference between WUE values probably appeared due to the differences on Physalis peruviana yield. WUE showed an upward trend with an increasing in irrigation. Conclusion Study results suggest that soil application of humic acid with increasing vitamin C, TSS and TA, improved fruit quality. According to the results, application of 3 kg ha-1 humic acid is suggested to improve fruit yield and quality of Physalis peruviana under normal and deficit irrigation conditions.

Yellow pitahaya (Selenicereus megalanthus Haw.) is an exotic fruit with great potential for exportation in Ecuador. The research was carried out with the objective of evaluating the fruit growth and ripening as affected by four elicitors: salicylic acid (SA), methyl salicylate (MeSa), methyl jasmonate (MeJa), and oxalic acid (OA), all of them at 1, 5, and 10 mM concentration, compared with untreated plants (control). For each elicitor, nine plants were selected, and on each plant, three fruits were marked to follow up the growth by measuring polar and equatorial diameters. At harvest, yield (kg plant−1 and number of fruits plant−1), fruit weight, percentage of pulp and skin, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), and firmness were determined. Treated plants enhanced fruit size, crop yield, and fruit weight compared with control fruits, although results depended on the elicitor tested and applied doses. The highest and lowest TSS were found in 10 mM MeSa and 5 mM MeJa-treated fruit, respectively, while the highest TA content was shown in 5 mM SA. Firmness was only enhanced in MeJa-treated fruits. Overall, results suggest that preharvest use of elicitors could modulate the pitahaya ripening and could improve quality attributes at harvest.

Global soft fruit supply chains rely on trustworthy descriptions of product quality. However, crucial criteria such as sweetness and firmness cannot be accurately established without destroying the fruit. Since traditional alternatives are subjective assessments by human experts, it is desirable to obtain quality estimations in a consistent and non-destructive manner. The majority of research on fruit quality measurements analyzed fruits in the lab with uniform data collection. However, it is laborious and expensive to scale up to the level of the whole yield. The "harvest-first, analysis-second" method also comes too late to decide to adjust harvesting schedules. In this research, we validated our hypothesis of using in-field data acquirable via commodity hardware to obtain acceptable accuracies. The primary instance that the research concerns is the sugariness of strawberries, described by the juice's total soluble solid (TSS) content (unit: °Brix or Brix). We benchmarked the accuracy of strawberry Brix prediction using convolutional neural networks (CNN), variational autoencoders (VAE), principal component analysis (PCA), kernelized ridge regression (KRR), support vector regression (SVR), and multilayer perceptron (MLP), based on fusions of image data, environmental records, and plant load information, etc. Our results suggest that: (i) models trained by environment and plant load data can perform reliable prediction of aggregated Brix values, with the lowest RMSE at 0.59; (ii) using image data can further supplement the Brix predictions of individual fruits from (i), from 1.27 to as low up to 1.10, but they by themselves are not sufficiently reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The In-pond raceway aquaculture (IPRA) was developed to increase production that is more controllable and efficient than pond culture system. This study was conducted on commercial scale in IPRA to characterize the water quality and microbial community study within IPRA farms. The IPRA covers an area of 2h of traditional pond with 10 raceways, each of 25mx5mx2.5m of fish culture units. Where monitoring of water quality parameters and microbial abundancy had been studied between inlet and outlet of the raceways during 108 days of culture period. Average water quality parameters and total soluble solid (TSS) over the course of the study was not found to be significantly difference. Nitrite nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, total ammonia nitrogen, total phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and chemical oxygen demand were higher in outlet than inlets of IPRA. However, average total nitrogen, soluble reactive phosphorus and total soluble solids concentrations were slightly higher in inlets of IPRA there was also insignificance difference of microbial abundance. Therefore, it can be concluded from this study that fishes in raceways consumed nearly all the feed offered and a negligible amount of feed was wasted. So, leftover feed settlement to the bottom of the pond became a concern of no issue, despite the raceway having intensive fish culture thus bringing non-significant differences in water quality parameters between the inlet and outlet of the IPRA system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugarcane crop has tremendous potential to increase the farmers income, however the deficiency of micronutrients especially zinc (Zn) deficiency in Indo-Gangetic plains regions is one of the major constraints in improving the sugarcane productivity and quality of cane juice. Farmers are using Zn fertilizers injudiciously and hence a field experiment was planned to optimize the Zn fertigation rate to obtain higher sugarcane yield, Zn content in cane juice and nutritional quality of juice. The field experiment comprised of 5 levels of Zn i.e. no Zn(Zn-0); Zn@12.5 kg ha−1 (Zn-12.5); Zn@25 kg ha−1 (Zn-25.0); Zn@37.5 kg ha−1 (Zn-37.5) and Zn@50 kg ha−1 (Zn-50.0). Among various treatments, highest cane yield (117.2 t ha−1) was observed with treatment Zn-37.5, which was 18.3 percent higher over no Zn application. The agronomic efficiency (0.49) and Zn concentration in cane juice (3.62 mg l−1) and cane trash (28.3 mg l−1) were also higher in the treatment Zn-37.5. Mineral zinc fertigation also improved the content of total soluble solids (21.5oB) and other minerals viz. Ca, Mg, K, Cu, Fe and Mn and found maximum with treatment Zn-50.0. Hence, recommended NPK fertilizers along with Zn@37.5 kg ha−1 was found best for higher sugarcane yield and improved quality of cane juice under Zn deficient soil.

Transportation over longer distances could accelerate the chemical changes of fresh produce. Moreover, fresh produce quality is also influenced by temperature conditions during storage. The present study aims to explore the postharvest quality chemical and nutritional changes in tomatoes as affected by transportation distance and storage conditions. Tomato fruit was transported from a local farm to three distances (100, 154, and 205 km) and delivered to the laboratory to undergo chemical and nutritional quality analysis. Tomatoes were stored at two storage temperature conditions at10°C (95 ± 1% relative humidity) and 22 °C (65 ± 5% relative humidity) for 12 days. To record all vibration data signals, a 3-Axis USB vibration/acceleration data logger was used during transportation. The changes in chemical properties of tomato including total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), sugar:acid ratio (TSS:TA), and pH were measured. Furthermore, nutritional changes (i.e., total lycopene and carotenoids) were determined. Vibration data results recorded 41% of acceleration occurrence in the range interval of 0.0099 -0.0116 m/s2 in the longest distance of road travel. Chemical quality indicators like total soluble solids and sugar/acid ratio were mostly affected (p 0.05) by transportation distance. However, TA was significantly affected by all investigated factors and was lower (0.25%) in tomatoes transported from the farthest distance compared to medium and shortest distances (0.26%) stored at 22 °C. Lycopene and carotenoids were highly affected by all studied factors. The highest amount of lycopene and carotenoids was observed in tomato transported from a long distance and stored at 22 °C on day12 with 1.21 and 1.55 mg.100 g−1 FW, respectively. The temperature during storage and long-distance transportation is critical in reducing postharvest chemical and nutritional quality losses of tomatoes.

This study investigated the effects of the use of low magnetic fields as a potential method for improving the quality of apples after storage. The fruit were exposed to 100 μT magnetic fields for 8 h per day and kept for a period of two weeks in room conditions. The results showed that the samples that were treated with a magnetic field generally had a higher value ratio of total soluble solid and titratable acidity compared to the untreated samples, which indicated their higher quality. Continuous treatment with a magnetic field influenced the mechanical properties of apples, as demonstrated by the greater firmness, lower weight loss and suppressed CO2 production of the apples that were stored in room conditions. After the treatment of the apples, a new product was produced with greater firmness, higher quality potential (the ratio of total soluble solid and titratable acidity) and an extended shelf life/lower respiration rate. Therefore, treatment with a magnetic field can be used to extend the shelf life of apples and needs to be demonstrated by further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Transportation over longer distances could accelerate the chemical changes of fresh produce. Moreover, fresh produce quality is also influenced by temperature conditions during storage. The present study aims to explore the postharvest quality chemical and nutritional changes in tomatoes as affected by transportation distance and storage conditions. Tomato fruit was transported from a local farm to three distances (100, 154, and 205 km) and delivered to the laboratory to undergo chemical and nutritional quality analysis. Tomatoes were stored at two storage temperature conditions at10°C (95 ± 1% relative humidity) and 22 °C (65 ± 5% relative humidity) for 12 days. To record all vibration data signals, a 3-Axis USB vibration/acceleration data logger was used during transportation. The changes in chemical properties of tomato including total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), sugar:acid ratio (TSS:TA), and pH were measured. Furthermore, nutritional changes (i.e., total lycopene and carotenoids) were determined. Vibration data results recorded 41% of acceleration occurrence in the range interval of 0.0099 -0.0116 m/s2 in the longest distance of road travel. Chemical quality indicators like total soluble solids and sugar/acid ratio were mostly affected (p < 0.05) by storage condition and duration but not (p > 0.05) by transportation distance. However, TA was significantly affected by all investigated factors and was lower (0.25%) in tomatoes transported from the farthest distance compared to medium and shortest distances (0.26%) stored at 22 °C. Lycopene and carotenoids were highly affected by all studied factors. The highest amount of lycopene and carotenoids was observed in tomato transported from a long distance and stored at 22 °C on day12 with 1.21 and 1.55 mg.100 g−1 FW, respectively. The temperature during storage and long-distance transportation is critical in reducing postharvest chemical and nutritional quality losses of tomatoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baby corn is a premature ear of maize that is harvested as dehusked vegetable corn at 2-3 days after silking before fertilization. No enough attention has been paid to this kind of maize in the literature. In order to investigate the effect of planting density and pattern on yield and some qualitative and morphological traits in baby corn hybrid KSC403su a field experiment was conducted at College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran in 2014. The treatments were plant density at four levels: 100, 125, 150 and 175 thousands plant ha-1 and three planting patterns: one, two and three rows which arranged in factorial based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The results showed that yield, solar radiation, total soluble solid (TTS) and a majority of morphological traits of baby corn were significantly affected by the treatments and their interactions. With increasing of the number of rows and plant density, leaf area and plant height were increased, while the number of tillers per plant, number of ears per plant, husked and dehusked ear yield, husked and dehusked ear weight and ear diameter were decreased. The highest husked and dehusked ear yield were obtained in 150 thousands plant ha-1 and single row planting pattern with average of 1834 and 9128 Kg ha-1, respectively. In general, one row planting pattern at 150 thousands plant ha-1 were considered as the most suitable treatments and could be suggested for achieving acceptable yield and appropriate quality.

Abstrak. Informasi umur simpan tomat sangat penting untuk proses penanganan pasca panennya sehingga dapat mengurangi resiko kerugian yang dihadapi oleh para petani dan pedagang. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui apakah model Arrhenius dan Q10 dapat digunakan untuk menduga umur simpan tomat berdasarkan nilai total padatan terlarut (TPT). Tomat segar terbaik yang diperoleh dari pasar induk disimpan dengan 3 variasi suhu ekstrim yaitu 50˚C, 60˚C dan 70 ˚C. Selama penyimpanan tersebut dilakukan pengamatan nilai TPT setiap 1 jam sekali, sampai keadaan tomat sudah tidak layak untuk dikonsumsikan lagi. Peralatan yang digunakan adalah refraktometer digital. Analisis model Arrhenius dilakukan dengan pendekatan persamaan linier. Pendugaan umur simpan dilakukan dengan metode Q10. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa model Arrhenius perubahan TPT tomat adalah k = 7,46x1012. e -8666/T . Energi aktivasi perubahan TPT buah tomat adalah 17.158 kal/mol. Nilai Q10 diperoleh sebesar 2,18. Pendugaan umur simpan dapat dilakukan dengan pendekatan ini baik menggunakan basis suhu penyimpanan 10 maupun 30 °C. Umur simpan tomat pada suhu 30 °C adalah 4,4 dan 5 hari, sedangkan umur simpan tomat pada suhu 10 °C adalah 21 dan 23,8 hari. Perlu penelitian lanjutan untuk menduga umur simpan tomat menggunakan parameter mutu lain seperti vitamin C dan kekerasan untuk meningkatkan validitas hasil pendugaan umur simpannya. The prediction of Tomato shelf life Based on Its Total Soluble Solid by Using Arrhenius and Q10 Model Abstract. The information about shelf life of tomato is necessary for its post harvest handling to reduce the loss facing by farmers and sellers. The study aimed to observe that the Arrhenius model and Q10 can be used to estimate the shelf life of tomatoes based on its total soluble solid (TSS). The fresh tomatoes obtained from the market were stored at three extreme temperatures i.e. 50˚C, 60 ˚C, and 70 ˚C. During the storing, the TSS was analyzed every hour, until the tomatoes quality was decreased. The TSS was observed by using refractometer. The Arrhenius model were evaluate through the TSS model in linier model. The shelf life estimation were calculated by Q10 method. Results showed that the Arrhenius model of TSS changes in tomatoes was k = k = 7.46x1012. e -8,666/T. The energy activation of TSS changes was about 17,158 kal/mol. The Q10 value was 2.18. The estimation of tomato shelf life can be run successfully by using the Arrhenius and Q10 approach, both at storage temperature basis of 10 and 30 °C. The shelf life of tomatoes at storage temperature 30 were 4.4 and 5 days, respectively, whereas at storage temperature 10 °C were 21 and 23.8 days, respectively. Therefore it is recommended for the further study to evaluate the other quality parameter changes such as vitamin C and hardness to improve the model.

Information on scar incidence and its effect on fruit quality of ‘Kristal’ guava (Psidium guajava L.) grown on different altitudes is currently limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fruit scar incidence and fruit quality of 'Kristal' guava var. grown on low- and middle-altitude orchards. The research was conducted by collecting 50 samples of fruit harvested from each orchard from January to June 2019. Fruit quality evaluation was carried out at Postharvest Laboratory, Department of the Agronomy and Horticulture, IPB University, whereas scarring pest observation was conducted at Insect Biosystematics Laboratory, Department of Plant Protection, IPB University. Our results showed that the low-altitude orchard produced more fruits with medium, high, and very high scar intensity, while the middle-altitude orchard produced more fruits with low and very low scar intensity. Fruit scar was caused by fruit scarring pests, especially thrips and mites. Fruit tissue damage only occurred on the epidermis of fruit pericarps where the tissue turned brownish and thickened. Additionally, there was no expansion of the damage into the pulp. The peel damage did not affect the fruit taste as indicated in the level of total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), TSS/TA ratio, vitamin C, and total flavonoids content. Fruit external quality was varied in response to altitude, where middle-altitude orchard produced a heavier, a bigger and a lower fruit softness than low-altitude ones. Present findings could be the baseline information for determine the best growth site and adjustment of pest control to maintain fruit quality.

This study investigated the effects of the use of low magnetic fields as a potential method for improving the quality of apples after storage. The fruit were exposed to 100 μT magnetic fields for 8 h per day and kept for a period of two weeks in room conditions. The results showed that the samples that were treated with a magnetic field generally had a higher value ratio of total soluble solid and titratable acidity compared to the untreated samples, which indicated their higher quality. Continuous treatment with a magnetic field influenced the mechanical properties of apples, as demonstrated by the greater firmness, lower weight loss and suppressed CO2 production of the apples that were stored in room conditions. After the treatment of the apples, a new product was produced with greater firmness, higher quality potential (the ratio of total soluble solid and titratable acidity) and an extended shelf life/lower respiration rate. Therefore, treatment with a magnetic field can be used to extend the shelf life of apples and needs to be demonstrated by further investigations.

Optimum maturity and ripeness at the time of harvest is highly important to maintain the nutritional parameters of fruits. Maturity and ripeness of most of the fruit samples depends on various physiochemical parameters such as color, shape, size, total soluble solid and many more. Several state-of-the-art solutions such as GC–MS, Electronic Nose, Spectrometer and many more are available to measure various fruit quality parameters but most of the solutions available in the market are bulky, time consuming, lab-level and requires skilled manpower for operation. Presented manuscript reports a battery operated, smartphone spectrometer based solution to carry out the variety of activities in the field. Overall device uses UV–Vis-NIR led array as source and collection of spectral sensors (AS7262 and OPT101) to acquire overall UV–Vis-NIR spectrum over the range of 400–1000 nm with the resolution of 40 nm. Designed source and detector modules have been interfaced with designed triggering, filter and amplification circuit. A low power wireless solution along with on-board microcontroller facility has been designed and interfaced with circuits, source and detectors. All essential components such as source, detectors, filters, lens and all circuits have been assembled in a housing of dimensions 18.0 × 9.0 × 6.0 (in cm) and the entire device weighs 183.35 g. Different statistical and neural network based modelling techniques have been explored to design prediction models for total soluble solids, weight, volume, chlorophyll, sugar content and acidity. Models have been evaluated based on accuracy, memory and time usage. Best performed models have been used to train handheld smartphone based spectrometer device to predict various quality parameters for citrus samples. System communicates data to smartphone based android app to display various parameters. Android app also provides facility to save data on cloud with tree and orchard ID to monitor overall yield and harvesting time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kinetics of water removal and total soluble solid (TSS) content change of black cherry tomato (cv. OG) sauce by rotary vacuum evaporation (RVE) were investigated. The effect of different vacuum conditions (vacuum levels and boiling temperatures of 500 mmHg - 80° C, 550 mmHg - 75°C, 600 mmHg - 70°C and 650 mmHg - 65°C) during evaporation /concentration was examined. Tomatoes puree with an initial TSS of 13.47±0.18° Brix was concentrated to 39.83±0.30° Brix. There was a linear relationship between water removal and time during the concentration of black cherry tomato sauce by RVE. The TSS change of tomato sauce during the concentration was applied to three exponential mathematical models (two-parameter, three-parameter, and four-parameter). In studying the consistency of all models, some statistical indicators, namely the coefficient of determination (R² ), the chi-square (χ² ) as well as the root mean square error (RMSE) were considered. Among the models, the three-parameter exponential model was proven to best describe the concentration behavior of the tomato sauce using rotary vacuum evaporation with the highest R², the lowest χ², and the lowest RMSE. The validation with the experimental data at other vacuum levels had also confirmed the consistency of the selected model. This knowledge is very important for process optimization and product quality improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soilless growing systems can improve water-use efficiency, especially in closed soilless growing systems. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of different transplanting conditions, and determine how supplying H2O2 as an oxygen source to the rhizosphere of strawberry plants in a soilless growing system affects plant growth, fruit yield and fruit quality. Strawberry plants (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) cv. ‘Fortuna’ were cultivated in 12 L pots filled with peat substrate, and maintained under conditions of natural light and temperature. Treated plants were supplied with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (H1) and control plants did not receive H2O2 (H0). In terms of the transplanting conditions, the plants were transplanted in October (T1), and either maintained in a culture chamber (T2), or refrigerated (T3), for one month, before being transplanted. A completely randomized block design with two treatment factors (transplanting conditions, and H2O2 treatment) and five replications was established. Then, we determined the fruit per plant, yield per plant (g plant−1), fruit weight (g fruit−1), fruit size (mm), SPAD values, crown number, crown diameter (mm), flower number, firmness (g cm−1), pH, total soluble solid (TSS), titratable acidity (TA) and TSS/TA. During the early crop cycle, there were not significant differences between treatment and the transplanting conditions that significantly affected the fruit weight and fruit size, although T3 produced the highest values. During the late crop cycle, the H2O2 treatment affected fruit per plant, yield per plant (g plant−1), and crown diameter, with H1 producing the highest values. Furthermore, the transplanting conditions affected yield per plant (g plant−1), old SPAD values, crown diameter, firmness, TSS, TA and TSS/TA.

Introduction. Citrus is one of the most commercially important horticultural crops grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. They are classified as non-climacteric fruits. Harvesting date and storage can influence citrus fruit quality and shelf life. In Iran, some members of citrus family including sweet orange and mandarin are produced as an export crop, so research on fruit quality and storage life is needed. There is no available scientific literature regarding the effect of harvesting date and storage duration on retaining the postharvest physicochemical properties of Kinnow mandarin under cold storage. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of harvesting date and storing time on shelf life and quality of Kinnow mandarin fruits under Jiroft weather conditions. Materials and Methods. Investigations were carried out on mandarin (Citrus reticulata) cv. Kinnow grafted on sour orange rootstock in an orchard located in Jiroft and Kahnooj Agricultural Research Center, Jiroft, Iran. Fruits were harvested on 6th December, 21th December, 5th January, 20th January and 4th February. After cold storage for 30-90 days at 4-6 °C, the fruit was analyzed for quantitative and qualitative characteristics including weight of fruit, peel, meat, pulp and juice, fruit weight loss, pH, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA) and TSS/TA. Experiment was arranged in a split plot based on randomized complete block design (RCBD). Data analysis and similarity coefficient (Pearson's method) were performed using SPSS.16 software, and means comparison was performed by using Duncan's multiple range test at 1 and 5% probability levels. Results and Discussion. The results showed that the interaction effect of harvesting date and storage period on the weight of the fruit, meat, pulp and juice and TSS, TA and TSS/TA was significant at 1% probability level. Weight of harvested fruits from 6th December to 5th January was constant, but fruits harvested on 20th January and 4th February were heavier as much as 12.5 and 14.3 percent, respectively, compared to 6th December. Fruit weight loss increased along with the increase in storage time duration, so that mean fruits weight loss percentages were 3.5 and 16.5 at 30 and 90 days of storage, respectively, due to continued transpiration of the fruits after harvesting. As a result of transpiration, water enters into the atmosphere through the pores existing on fruit surface. The greatest fruit weight (121.8 g) was recorded for combination of harvesting on 20th January and 30-day storage. Fruits harvested on 20th January and 30-day storage had higher meat and pulp weight (89.6 and 52.3 g, respectively) and a significant correlation coefficient was detected between them. Changes of fruit juice pH at different stages of fruit ripening and storage times did not follow a fixed pattern, though pH slightly increased in some cases during storage, which can be due to oxidation of citric acid during storage. The maximum TSS was recorded for harvesting on 5th January and 90-day storage (11.7 °Brix) as well as 4th February and 60- and 90-day storages (11.8 °Brix), while the minimum TSS was observed on 6th December and 30-day storage (8.7 °Brix). The results exhibited that TSS content of fruit juice increased when storage period increased, which was possibly attributed to the hydrolysis of starch and increase in sucrose content. However, increase in TSS during storage is not always directly related to changes in the simple sugar content of fruit. During storage and maturation of the fruits on the tree, TA reduced due to the use of citric acid in respiration. Taste index (TSS/TA) in fruits harvested at full maturity was greater than that in fruits harvested in the fall. Besides, TSS/TA increased during storage, so that the highest and lowest average TSS/TA ratios were related to harvesting on 4th February and 30-day storage as well as 6th December and 30-day storage, respectively. According to the results, fruits did not reach full maturity until 5th January under Jiroft weather conditions. Conclusion. Postharvest quality and shelf life of Kinnow mandarin fruits were affected by harvesting date and storage duration. Delay in harvest resulted in an increase in fruit weight, TSS and TSS/TA. TSS and TSS/TA were higher when fruits harvested on 4th February. Fruit weight loss increased when the storage period increased.. Overall, 4th February is the best date to harvest Kinnow mandarin fruit in Jiroft.

Baby corn is a premature ear of maize that is harvested as dehusked vegetable corn at 2-3 days after silking before fertilization. No enough attention has been paid to this kind of maize in the literature. In order to investigate the effect of planting density and pattern on yield and some qualitative and morphological traits in baby corn hybrid KSC403su a field experiment was conducted at College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran in 2014. The treatments were plant density at four levels: 100, 125, 150 and 175 thousands plant ha-1 and three planting patterns: one, two and three rows which arranged in factorial based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The results showed that yield, solar radiation, total soluble solid (TTS) and a majority of morphological traits of baby corn were significantly affected by the treatments and their interactions. With increasing of the number of rows and plant density, leaf area and plant height were increased, while the number of tillers per plant, number of ears per plant, husked and dehusked ear yield, husked and dehusked ear weight and ear diameter were decreased. The highest husked and dehusked ear yield were obtained in 150 thousands plant ha-1 and single row planting pattern with average of 1834 and 9128 Kg ha-1, respectively. In general, one row planting pattern at 150 thousands plant ha-1 were considered as the most suitable treatments and could be suggested for achieving acceptable yield and appropriate quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Recently, strawberry growers have been mostly interested in growing cultivars for the fresh market because of its profitability, but on the other hand it requires more complicated technologies and well-educated workers. High quality of the fruit for the fresh market is an important factor attracts customers and determines their choice and prices. Fruit production cost for the fresh market needs to be calculated and efficient methods and technologies also should be taken into consideration. New environmentally friendly mineral-organic fertilizers can improve fruit quality and yield of dessert strawberry cultivars. The desired effects was obtained through the activity of fertilizer’s components, which very often belong to different groups of natural hormones, elicitors, vitamins, flavonoids, amino acids, etc. Numerous breeding programs have been aimed at improving strawberry taste and disease resistance. Three major components of fruit organoleptic quality are flavor, sweetness, and acidity. Several studies have been devoted to strawberry aroma. Fruit with intense flavor also have high titratable acidity and high soluble solids. Numerous studies have addressed strawberry sweetness and acidity. Fruit soluble solids, sugars, titratable acidity, and organic acids at maturity are quantitatively inherited. Moreover, there appears to be genetic variations for these fruit quality traits. Numerous biochemical changes are observed during strawberry development and especially during fruit ripening. The major soluble constituents of maturing and ripe strawberries are soluble sugars and organic acids. The major soluble sugars in strawberries are glucose, fructose, and sucrose. The major organic acid is citric acid. This acid contributes greatly to fruit titratable acidity, which declines gradually during fruit development. The sugar/ organic acid ratio is a major parameter of strawberry taste. Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a class of poly hydroxyl steroids, which have been recognized as a class of plant hormones. These were first explored when Mitchell et al. (1970) reported that cell division and elongation were promoted by the treatment of organic extracts of rape (Brassica napus L.) pollen. Brassinolide (BL) was the first isolated brassinosteroid when Michael et al. (1979) isolated the biologically active molecule. Researches showed that brassinosteroids are essential for many physiological functions in plants, however little is known concerning where and when they are synthesized. In young tomato seedlings BR synthesis activity was observed mainly in apical and root tissues undergoing expansion. In flowers, synthesis activity was observed in the pedicel joints and ovaries, whereas in the fruits it was strongest during early seed development and was associated with the locular jelly and seeds. Quantitative measurements of endogenous BR indicated intense biosynthesis in developing tomato fruits, which were also found to contain high amounts of brassinolide. Moreover, brassinosteroids stimulate cell elongation and cell division, and BR has a specific effect of differentiation. Underling physiological pathways include modification of cell wall properties, effects on carbohydrate assimilation, allocation, and control of aquaporin activities. Brassinosteroids apparently coordinates and integrates diverse processes required for growth, partly via interactions with phytohormones setting the frame for BR responses. The aim of present study was investigation of the role of brassinosteroid on qualitative characteristics improvement of strawberry fruit. Materials and Methods: In this research the effect of different concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1 mgl-1) of brassinosteroid sprayat different stages of strawberry growth (30 days after planting, first blooming, green fruit, and pink fruit) on some qualitative characteristics of the strawberry Paros cultivar was considered. This experiment was conducted asfactorial on a randomized complete block design with 4 replications in greenhouse conditions. Parameters such as total soluble solid, inducing sugar, titrable acidity, anthocyanin, phenol, fruit dry weight, fruit water and vitamin C were measured after…. Results and Discussion: Results showed treated plants by brassinosteroid, compared to control, improved fruit qualitative characteristics. So, brassinosteroid application increased total soluble solid, inducing sugar, titratable acidity, anthocyanin, phenol, dry weight, vitamin C.The best effective treatment and the best spraying time was brassinosteroid at 1 mgl-1 in pink fruit stage, respectively for qualitative characteristics improvement. Because, Brassinosteroid growth induced has been related to increase in RNA and DNA content, polymerase activity, protein synthesis carbohydrate fraction, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars and starch. The yield increase in fruit trees may be related to improvement in the assimilation efficiency of photosynthetic carbon of the sprayed trees. The brassinosteroid application in wheat and mustard plants stimulated photosynthetic activity expressed by acceleration in CO2 fixing, increase protein biosynthesis and in mustard, increased photosynthetic rates that were directly related to growth and seed production. In accordance, researchers explained that BRs have been shown to enhance tracheary element differentiation, stimulate membrane hyperpolarization and ATPase activity, promote ethylene biothynsesis, control microtubule orientation and alter the mechanical properties of cell walls. In addition, brassinosteroid treatment greatly stimulated accumulation of photosynthates in the treated internode. This suggests a possible mobilization role for BR in the intact plant. As well as, in persimmon, grapevine and citrus, reported that BR compound showed, the practical effects for fruit setting. While, showed that brassinolide increased fruit weight and sugar content of oranges. In passion fruit orchards, brassinosteroid increased fruit number of plant and in turn yield per hectare and soluble solids content was 1° Brix greater than the control. Conclusions: From this study, it is evident that the application of plant biostimulants such as brassinosteroid significantly improved qualitative characteristics. So, brassinosteroid application increased total soluble solid, inducing sugar, titrable acidity, anthocyanin, phenol, dry weight, vitamin C and effective treatment and best spraying was brassinosteroid at 1 mgl-1 at pink fruit stage for qualitative characteristics improvement.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of NK chemical fertilizers in combination with compost on the growth and yield attributes of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). The pot experiment was done in a complete randomized block design possessing eight treatments with four replicates. Fruit weight, pulp weight, seed weight, total soluble solid, leaf area and dry weights of plat parts were taken and fruit yield was calculated. All the collected data were subjected to statistical analysis. The results revealed that there were significant differences in fruit and seed weights, total soluble solid, pulp weight, 100 seed weight, pulp consistency, leaf area and crop residue. In these parameters, higher mean values were recorded in chemical fertilizers (7.5 g N + 6 g K2O + 15 g P2O5 per m2) with compost (2 kg per m2) than those in the chemical fertilizers applied alone (9.0 g N + 8 g K2O + 15 g P2O5 per m2as standard control). Total soluble solid and fruit yield were 5.73 obrix and 3.21 kg/m2 respectively in the chemical fertilizers with compost (7.5 g N + 6 g K2O + 15 g P2O5 +2 kg compost per m2) treated plants and these were statically on par with the standard control which gave 4.36 obrix total soluble solid and 3.05 kg/m2 fruit yield. The result could be concluded that application of chemical fertilizers (7.5 g N + 6 g K2O + 15 g P2O5 per m2) with compost (2 kg per m2) could increase the total soluble solid and fruit yield as well as reduce the usage of chemical fertilizers in tomato cultivation over the standard control in sandy regosol.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of solar radiation and temperature on the sugar melon fruit using the photothermal quotient. Outdoor experiments were conducted in three successive years, using the hybrid cultivar 'HD Nº1'. The experiments were conducted at four sites in the central region of Argentina: Concordia, Esperanza, Media Agua and Colonia Fiscal. At the time of harvest were measured Total Soluble Solid (TSS) of fruits. The photothermal quotient (PQ) was calculated through the relationship between the average incident radiation (MJ m-2 d-1) and the average daily temperature (°C) at which base temperature was subtracted. The relationship obtained between TSS (%) and the PQ (MJ m-2 d-1 °C-1) was lineal positive. The slope of the line allowed deduce that for every unit increase in the PQ represented an increase of just over 4.0% of TSS. Moreover, this model explains 63% of the variability in the TSS due to the effect of PQ. Finally, to increase the TTS the importance of the results is discussed, for guiding the crop establishment so that fruits development coincides with the period of greatest value PQ.