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Maintaining the plant architecture of Psidium guajava L. (guava tree) is essential for enhancing capture and distribution in the plant, directly affecting the fruit quality. The lifespan of the harvest period can be extended by proper pruning. Both timeliness and proper pruning play crucial roles in achieving high-quality fruit production and in maintaining a consistent fruit size while stimulating ascorbic acid levels, sugar content, total soluble solids (TSS), and titratable acidity. From this perspective, this study aimed to characterize the influence of different intensities of fruit pruning and thinning on guava trees grown under a seasonal tropical climate in two growing seasons in Currais, Piauí, Brazil. The experiment was set up in a randomized block design with a 3 × 3 × 2 factorial arrangement corresponding to short, medium, and long pruning intensities and 0%, 10%, and 20% thinning intensities during the two growth seasons, respectively. An analysis was performed to discriminate the treatment groups according to the physicochemical variables of the guava tree cv. Paluma and canonical discriminant analysis. There was significant variation in the SS, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, and pH contents. Cluster analysis of all treatments allowed division into five different groups for the two pruning times. Canonical discriminant analysis showed that the first two canonical variables explained 91% of the total variance. The fruits of the second harvest exhibited a lower level of acidity, higher levels of soluble solids, and higher levels of ascorbic acid contents. In addition, these fruits also obtained better nutrient contents. Short pruning with up to 20% thinning, medium pruning with up to 10%, and long pruning without thinning favored better levels of macronutrients and micronutrients and, consequently, better fruit quality. Medium or long pruning with up to 20% thinning resulted in higher average fruit weights and nutrient contents (especially of Fe and Cu), lower acidity, and higher ascorbic acid contents. Thus, in general, the importance of production pruning in guava plants is evidenced and thinning of 20% is recommended to improve the fruit quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus orchards in northeastern Brazil are mostly rainfed and comprised basically of 'Pera CNPMF D6' sweet orange budded on 'Rangpur' lime, for the drought tolerance and productivity imparted by this rootstock. Therefore, the selection of new varieties is needed to broaden the genetic basis of citrus cultivated in this region. Accordingly, this study compared vegetative, productive, and fruit quality traits of eight sweet orange scions grafted on 'Rangpur' lime over eleven years under the tropical rainfed conditions of northeastern Brazil. 'Kona' trees excelled in yield performance associated with bulk canopy, precocity, sweet fruit with intermediate acidity, and high vitamin C contents in spite of proneness to alternate yields and low ratio (maturity index). 'Valencia Montemorelos' and 'Rubi' trees, in turn, had high yield performances coupled with intermediate canopies, sweet fruit, intermediate acidity ('Rubi') and vitamin C contents, low propensity for yield fluctuation ('Valencia Montemorelos'), and high precocity ('Rubi'), albeit low ratio. Overall, our results emphasize 'Kona,' 'Valencia Montemorelos,' and 'Rubi' as superior sweet orange varieties for diversification of tropical rainfed orchards for their outstanding yield performance and good fruit quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is sensitive to the salinity of water and soil, a common abiotic stress in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil; however, such sensitivity is variable with water management in the soil-plantatmosphere system. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the fertilization with nitrogen-potassium combinations in okra cultivated under salt stress. Photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange, growth and fruit quality were evaluated. Fertilization with N1:K1 (40% N + 40% K2O) reduced the damage caused by salt stress and increased the chlorophyll contents, while the application of N4:K4 (130% N + 100% K2O) decreased the damage caused by salt stress and increased the carotenoid contents. The combination of N:K fertilization did not affect gas exchange, however, salt stress decreased these variables. Fertilization with N2:K2 (70% N + 60% K2O) reduced the damage caused by salt stress and increased the leaf area of okra. In addition, salt stress decreased the number of fruits and increased the fresh mass of okra fruits. The N:K fertilization also reduced the damage caused by salt stress and in the soluble solids content, titratable acidity, SS/TA ratio, and ascorbic acid content. Thus, N:K fertilization can be seen as an important agronomic strategy to improve the performance of okra quality subjected to saline conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aimed to evaluate granulation incidence and severity and quality parameters of 'Monte Parnaso' navel orange in different harvest and collection dates. The 2018 and 2019 harvests were evaluated, and the collection dates of 0, 15, 30, and 45 days after commercial collection. The evaluated parameters were granulation incidence and severity, fruit weight, longitudinal and transversal diameters, peel thickness, juice content, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, SS/TA ratio, and ascorbic acid content. The results underwent chi-squared test to evaluate granulation incidence and severity, and analysis of variance for the quality parameters; occurring statistical difference, the means were compared by Tukey's multiple range test at 5 % probability. Granulation incidence and severity were not related to collection time. Only severity was related to the harvest. The quality parameters were influenced significantly only by the harvest factor, with exception of the parameters of titratable acidity, influenced only by the factor collection date, and ascorbic acid content, which presented interaction between factors. Granulation incidence and severity were higher in the larger and heavier fruits. The frequency of fruits in the categories of higher severity (> 50 %) was higher in the 2018 harvest than in the one of 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refrigeration and coating of active biopolymers are two potential approaches to extending the shelf life of fresh fruits. Thus, the aim of this study was to test the influence of storage temperature (5 and 10 °C ± 1 °C) and whey concentration (edible coating), on functional, physical-chemical and microbiological characteristics of acerola stored for 12 days. Edible coatings were produced using whey (30% and 60%) and glycerol. Samples were compared to a control (no coating), during storage at both temperatures. Storage at 10 °C improved the maintenance of the acerola colour, while storage at 5 °C increased the stability of vitamin C and decreased microbial growth (p =0.05). The application of edible coating reduced the total colour variation and degradation (a*) at both temperatures. The concentration of whey influenced significantly (p=0.05) on the vitamin C content (A10-60), and on the mesophilic (A5-60 and A10-60) and psychrotrophic bacteria (A10-60) counts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pineapple (Ananas comosus L.), originally from South America, is the third most produced fruit in Brazil. The potassium nutrient plays a fundamental role on the fruit quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of potassium doses applied to the soil on fruit yield and on the physical and chemical characteristics of the Pérola pineapple cultivar. The design used randomized block design with four repetitions; the treatments consisted of five doses of K2O: 0; 222; 444; 666 and 888 kg ha−1 applied in the form of potassium chloride, divided into two applications, after floral induction. The evaluated variables were: fruit yield per hectare and pulp, fruit and crown fresh mass, fruit diameter, fruit and crown lengths, titratable acidity, soluble solids, vitamin C, juice pH and soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio. Potassic fertilization increased the yield of both fruit and pulp per hectare, the fruit and crown fresh mass, the diameter of the fruit, the lengths of the fruit and crown, titratable acidity, soluble solids, vitamin C and decreased the ratio of soluble solids to titratable acidity in the juice. The rise in potassium nutrition improves the quality and yield aspects of the pineapple 'Pérola' fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of frozen fruit pulp is an agroindustrial activity that has become an important segment of the productive chain, favoring fruit consumption and guaranteeing the use of the surplus produced. However, despite the considerable increase of this production, it is still possible to find pulps with changes in their physico-chemical characteristics, due to problems associated with the lack of processing and/or storage. In view of this, the objective of this work was to perform the chemical characterization of the main frozen fruit pulps marketed in the southwestern region of Piauí, in view of their adequacy to the standards of identity and quality (PIQ) established by the legislation. The selection of pulps was carried out based on research in the retail trade in the city of Bom Jesus (Piauí, Brazil), to which the pulps of acerola, cashew, guava and mango were selected. The analyzed parameters were: soluble solids (SS), total acidity (AT), pH and total vitamin C. The values of SS/AT in the pulps of acerola, cashew, guava and mango were 5.2°/1.02%, 8.2°/0.45%, 4.8°/0.2% and 11°/0.51%, respectively. The pH in the pulps of acerola (3.0) and cashew (3.8) followed the legislation, while guava (2.72) and mango (3.1) were characterized below that proposed by legislation. When at vitamin C content, the acerola pulps 1015.42 mg 100 g-1, cashew 152.42 mg.100 g-1, guava 29.0 mg 100 g-1 and mango 82.02 mg 100 g-1 were as required in legislation. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that some parameters do not meet the minimum required by the legislation, being necessary to adapt them to reach a production of quality fruit pulps, through the adoption of Good Manufacturing Practices and standardization of raw materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acerola fruit is one of the richest natural sources of ascorbic acid. As a consequence, acerola fruit and its products are in demand worldwide for the production of health supplements and for the development of functional products. Acerola phenotypes (103) were screened in Western Paraná State, in the Southern region of Brazil, and evaluated to obtain information on fruit quality characteristics with the aim of using them in future breeding programs. Principal Component and Hierarchical Cluster analysis were performed on all datasets to explore the variability among samples and to identify the main clusters. A great variability among phenotypes was observed, with potential for use in breeding programs. Seven phenotypes were selected as candidates in the next breeding program, characterized by high vitamin C content and yield, or higher values of fruit size and color parameters. Four belong to cluster 1 and three to cluster 2. Specifically, two phenotypes, belonging to cluster 2, showed the best performance in terms of vitamin C (2150 mg 100 g−1 pulp and 2625 mg 100 g−1 pulp respectively) and pulp yield (74.8% and 82.3% respectively), and one phenotype, belonging to cluster 1, for high pulp yield, fruit size and vitamin C content (80.3% 6.43 g and 2490 mg 100 g−1 pulp). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Acerola harvested at the green stage with density < 1 g cm−3 turn red after harvest. • 'Flor Branca' acerola should be harvested at the green stage and stored at 10 °C. • 'Junco' acerolas should be harvested at the green stage and stored at 12 °C. Acerola (Malpighia emarginata D.C.) is native to Central and Northern South America and is considered a super-fruit due to its high vitamin C content. Acerola postharvest life is highly dependent on the maturity stage at harvest and storage temperatures. The objectives of this study were to determine the ideal harvest maturity and storage temperature for 'Flor Branca' and 'Junko' acerolas produced in the São Francisco Valley in the Northeast of Brazil. Acerolas 'Flor Branca' and 'Junko' were harvested at maturity stages green (green skin color at 18 days after full bloom), turning (initial skin color changes from green to red at 20 days after full bloom) and red (red skin color at 22 days after full bloom) and were stored at 8, 10 and 12 °C with RH of 90–95% for 14 days. Green fruit with density lower than 1 g cm−3 were used due to the capacity to change skin color from green to red after harvest. Fruit harvested at maturity stage green showed better storage potential than fruit harvested at more advanced stages. Storage temperatures of 10 °C for 'Flor Branca' and 12 °C for 'Junko' acerolas harvested at maturity stage green maintained fruit quality without chilling injury, keeping the fruit greener with higher ascorbic acid content and flesh firmness during 14 days of storage. Lower storage temperatures resulted in chilling injury incidence in 'Flor Branca' and 'Junco' acerolas. In both acerola cultivars, harvest at maturity stage green resulted in lower fruit decay incidence and weight loss during 14 days of storage. According to the results, 'Flor Branca' and 'Junco' acerolas should be harvested the maturity stage green with density lower than 1 g cm−3 and stored at 10 °C and 12 °C, respectively, in order to maintain high fruit quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]