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Pear (Pyrus communis L.) stands out as a prominent fruit species in temperate regions worldwide. The Çoruh River basin, nestled in the lower Caucasus in Türkiye, serves as a valuable repository of pear germplasm. To elucidate the genetic structure of pear populations in this region, 84 village pear cultivar genotypes (land races) from six villages, sample garden collections (SCC), and wild Panta root stock populations were analysed using eleven microsatellite markers. Genetic diversity and structure analyses indicated that village pear cultivar populations exhibit substantial genetic diversity and admixture. This diversity is attributed to local farming practices such as phenotypic selection and widespread dispersal of clonal materials. The genetic structure analysis, combined with the identification of private alleles, indicates that the pear genetic resources in the Çoruh river basin likely has originated from two gene pool sources, specifically the Meydancık and Camili village pear traditional cultivar populations. The Camili village pear cultivar population as a new in situ genetic reserve site has been proposed. Despite the existence an ex situ conservation site, the study suggests inadequateness of SCC as an ex situ site in capturing the full extent of genetic diversity of village pear cultivar genetic resources. Thus, enriching the genetic diversity in the SCC ex situ site is essential for effective pear genetic resource conservation in the Çoruh river basin. These findings contribute valuable insights for the development of targeted conservation strategies, ensuring the preservation of pear genetic resources in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The micropropagation methods are used for the conservation of Pyrus L. phytodiversity, as well as for the creation of collections of the threatened species and pear cultivars including genotypes necessary for breeding and genetic studies. Materials and Methods. The two Pyrus species, P. communis, and P. salicifolia Pall. as well as four pear P. communis cultivars, ’Bere Desiatova’, ’Umans’ka Juvileina’, ’Kniahynia Olga’, and ’Sofia Umans’ka’, were chosen as the experimental plants. Young shoots of Pyrus species and cultivars with apical meristem from three-year-old plants were used as primary explants. The effectiveness of sterilization was determined by the rate of sterile and viable explants. Rooted in vitro test tube shoots with 3–4 roots 2–5 cm long were transplanted to adapt into nutrient disks Jiffy-7 and Ellepress. The statistical analysis of the results was performed according to Ronald Fisher (2017) and Peter Bruce with co-workers (Bruce et al., 2020) using Statistica ver.10 (StatSoft, Inc. STATISTICA version 10.0). Results and Discussion. According to our results, mercury dichloride (HgCl2) was the most effective of all tested sterilizers of P. communis. The P. communis explants steri­lization technique was extremely difficult or unsuccessful for P. salicifolia, probably due to the dense pubescence on shoots and buds of this species. Therefore, we used the seeds as explants for micropropagation of P. salicifolia according to the standard protocol. In the best variant of Murashige–Skoog (MS) medium modification for P. communis, where MS-276 was modified by 2.0 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BAP) and 0.01 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), a value of 9.50 microclones per passage was obtained. However, the most active shoot formation of P. salicifolia in vitro was observed in the variant where the Driver and Kuniyuki (DKW) medium was modified by adding 2.5 mg/L 6-BAP. To induce rhizogenesis, the best medium for P. communis and P. salicifolia rhizogenesis was MS-302, modified by the addition of 0.5 mg/L α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). In this variant, the first root in microclones developed in 8–10 days, and after a month, rooting reached 87.50% of P. communis and 98.54 % of P. salicifolia. The efficiencies of both Pyrus species adaptation were better with Ellepress peat plugs, than with Jiffy-7 peat pellets. Conclusion. It is recommended to cultivate explants of P. communis on MS medium with the addition of 2.0 mg/L 6-BAP and 0.01 mg/L IBA, and P. salicifolia on DKW medium with the addition of 2.5 mg/L 6-BAP and 0.1 mg/L IBA. It is also recommended that MS medium with the addition of 0.5 mg/L NAA be used for rooting of the microclones of both Pyrus species, and Ellepress peat plugs for the adaptation of regenerated plants.

Copyright of Food & Fermentation Industries is the property of Food & Fermentation Industries 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.)

Salt stress poses a substantial threat to fruit cultivation in arid and semi-arid regions. An essential aspect of mitigating this challenge involves understanding the adaptive changes in plants under salinity conditions. In this study, salinity stress (0, 20, 40, and 80 mM) induced in Ankara and Deveci pear varieties grafted onto OH×F 97, OH×F 333, and BA 29 rootstocks. Plant height and diameter, stomatal conductance, photosynthetic pigments and K+/Na+ ratio exhibited a decreasing trend, indicating the impact of salt stress. Conversely, the salt stress index and the activities of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase showed an increasing trend, highlighting the plant’s defense mechanisms against oxidative stress. In our comprehensive evaluation, the Deveci × OH×F 97 demonstrated a higher level of tolerance to sodium chloride stress compared to other combinations. Notably, combinations involving the BA 29, particularly Ankara × BA 29, exhibited more pronounced damage under NaCl stress. An intriguing finding was the announced response of enzymatic antioxidants, where despite a higher increase in SOD activity in the Deveci × OH×F 97, CAT and APX activities were generally higher in the Ankara × BA 29. This suggests the effective operation of enzymatic antioxidants in ameliorating oxidative damage in cells exposed to NaCl stress, irrespective of the overall stress tolerance of the plant, within the Pyrus. This study contributes valuable insights into the complex interplay between pear varieties, rootstocks, and NaCl stress, providing a foundation for informed decision-making in orchard management practices to enhance the resilience of pear cultivation in challenging environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Conventional breeding in pears is inefficient due to a long juvenile phase and self-incompatibility. Genetic transformation offers a promise to expedite the breeding process. However, the frequencies of regeneration and genetic transformation in most Pyrus spp. are relatively low. This study investigated various factors influencing regeneration and genetic transformation using leaves from Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim “Shanli” and P. communis L. “Conference” as explants. The optimum regeneration medium for “Shanli” and “Conference” was NN69 containing 3.0 mg L−1 thidiazuron (TDZ) and 0.3 mg L−1 indolybutyric acid (IBA) for the former or 1.0 mg L−1 TDZ and 0.5 mg L−1 naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) for the latter. Sectioning the leaves from 30-day-old plantlets transversely and placing them with their abaxial side facing downward could significantly improve the regeneration ratio in both accessions. Moreover, a two- or four-week culture under the dark was beneficial for the regeneration of “Shanli” and “Conference” respectively. The optimal infection time was 12 and 8 min, while the time of the delayed screening test was two and one day for “Shanli” and “Conference” respectively. Moreover, a coculture of two days was recommended for both accessions. Post-transformation, the optimal concentrations of antibiotics were 16 mg L−1 kanamycin (Kan), 150 mg L−1 timentin (Tim), and 300 mg L−1 cefotaxime (Cef). The optimized regeneration and transformation system can be an effective alternative for either gene function analysis or genetic improvement in pear.

Tackling human malnutrition resulting from mineral deficits in foods is currently an agro-industrial problem. To address this problem, an agronomic workflow to enrich Rocha pears with calcium (Ca) was considered in two orchards in Portugal. This study aims to assess quality differences in the irrigation water of two orchards (of Rocha pear) where an agronomic Ca enrichment workflow would be performed and identify possible conditioning to Ca increases in fruits. Thus, electrical conductivity (EC), pH, pHs, cations (Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+), and anions (HCO3−, Cl−, and SO42−) were attained to calculate the Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) index and the Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) and assess the agricultural use. The values of EC, pH, pHs, SAR index and LSI of both orchards varied between 1198 and 1211 µS/cm, 7.4 and 7.5, 7.7 and 8.1, 3.5 and 7.4, and −0.69 and −0.21, respectively. Regarding Piper classification, irrigation waters were classified as sodium bicarbonate (orchard 1) and sodium chloride bicarbonate (orchard 2). Both orchards presented different classifications regarding agricultural use, namely C3S1 (orchard 2) and C3S2 (orchard 1). The water of both orchards presented the same salinity hazard (C3), but the use of these irrigation waters is enabled since these trees can be considered salt-tolerant. However, regarding the alkalinization hazard to soils, the irrigation water from orchard 2 offers less danger (S1) in comparison to orchard 1 (S2). Meanwhile, a slightly inferior LSI (orchard 1) can favor a higher tendency to dissolve calcium carbonate. In conclusion, although slightly different, analysis indicated that the waters of both orchards did not induce toxicity in Rocha pear trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major goal of this study is to create a venue for further work on the effect of pulsed magnetic fields on plant metabolism. It deals with metabolite synthesis in the aforementioned conditions in microplants of Pyrus communis L. So far, there have been glimpses into the governing factors of plant biochemistry in vivo, and low-frequency pulsed magnestatic fields have been shown to induce additional electric currents in plant tissues, thus perturbing the value of cell membrane potential and causing the biosynthesis of new metabolites. In this study, sixty-seven metabolites synthesized in microplants within 3–72 h after treatment were identified and annotated. In total, thirty-one metabolites were produced. Magnetic-pulse treatment caused an 8.75-fold increase in the concentration of chlorogenic acid (RT = 8.33 ± 0.0197 min) in tissues and the perturbation of phenolic composition. Aucubin, which has antiviral and antistress biological activity, was identified as well. This study sheds light on the effect of magnetic fields on the biochemistry of low-molecular-weight metabolites of pear plants in vitro, thus providing in-depth metabolite analysis under optimized synthetic conditions. This study utilized high-resolution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, metabolomics methods, stochastic dynamics mass spectrometry, quantum chemistry, and chemometrics, respectively. Stochastic dynamics uses the relationships between measurands and molecular structures of silylated carbohydrates, showing virtually identical mass spectra and comparable chemometrics parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human malnourishment is a current problem of society, and agronomic biofortification is a procedure that wishes to tackle these mineral deficits in human diets by increasing a specific nutrient in the edible part of food crops. Calcium is an important mineral element that performs structural functions and thus can help prevent the development of pathologies such as osteoporosis. Thereby, this work aims to study the impact of calcium enrichment on fatty acid (FA) content in Rocha pears. Thus, an agronomic enrichment workflow with seven foliar sprays of CaCl2 (with concentrations between 4–8 kg/ha) was performed in an orchard located in the western region of Portugal. Besides Ca enrichment assessment in fruits (with a portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer) at harvest, fatty acids quantification and FA profile (acquired with a gas–liquid chromatograph, coupled to a flame ionization detector (GC-FID)), double bond index (DBI), and lipoperoxidation values (with a spectrophotometer) were also attained. Increases of Ca in sprayed fruits reached 7.6% to 44.3%. For FA-related parameters, no significant differences were observed, suggesting that Ca sprays did not impact these parameters. Total fatty acids (TFA), DBI, and lipoperoxidation values varied between 0.72–0.74 g/100 g FW, 8.13–9.83 and 2.23–3.18 µM/g FW, respectively. The following FA profile was attained: C18:2 > C16:0 > C18:3 > C18:0 > C18:1 >

As part of the research there have been developed and published nomenclatural standards of 12 pear varieties bred by Sverdlovsk Horticultural Breeding Station: Berezhenaya (WIR-101392), Gvidon (WIR-101393), Dobryanka (WIR-101394), Zarechnaya (WIR-101395), Permyachka (WIR-101397), Raduzhnaya (WIR-101398), Rozovyy Bochonok (WIR-101399), Sverdlovchanka (WIR-101400), Sultan (WIR-101402), Talitsa (WIR-101404), Fleyta (WIR-101405), Chusovaya (WIR-103944). Plant material for nomenclatural standards was selected in the collection of the originator organization with the participation of the creators of these varieties. The herbarium sample of the nomenclature standard of each cultivar is represented mainly by two herbarium sheets containing parts of one plant collected during two periods: fruit and annual shoots ‒ in the fall 2019, flowers ‒ in the spring 2020. The herbarium label indicates: the herbarium number of the sample in the VIR Herbarium, the scientific name of the species, the name of the variety, the origin (the name of the organization in which the variety was created), the place of reproduction (where the plant was grown), the harvest dates, the names of collectors. Herbarium sheets are supplemented with photos of fruits and flowers. Nomenclatural standards are made in accordance with the recommendations of the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP), registered in the database "VIR Herbarium" and included in the type collection of Herbarium of cultivated plants of the world, their wild relatives and weeds (WIR). According to the same rules, herbarium samples of 3 elite pear forms (Limonadnaya, Sretenskaya, Tais) were made, registered and included into the Main Fund of the VIR Herbarium. After registration of copyright documents for cultivars, these samples can be assigned as nomenclatural standards. In total, 27 samples in the amount of 27 herbarium sheets were transferred to the herbarium collection. A digital image of herbarium specimen is available in the database «VIR Herbarium» (http://db.vir.nw.ru/herbar/gerb).

Currently, the main methods of virus elimination of fruit crops are dry-air thermotherapy, meristem culture and chemotherapy. The use of a complex of physical and chemical methods makes it possible to increase the efficiency of virus elimination. Improving the methods of recovery must be carried out in relation to certain types of viruses, the biological characteristics of the crop and variety. The purpose of the research is to study the effect of the Pharmaiod preparation on biometric, physiological parameters and the release of harmful viruses-free pear plants in the process of dry-air thermotherapy. Improvement of pear plants of varieties Letnyaya Zabava, Zolotoy Vityaz, hybrids R-11-9, R-10-3 and R-2-4 from harmful latent viruses of Apple stem grooving virus (ASGV), Apple stem pitting virus (ASPV), Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV), Apple mosaic virus (ApMV) were carried out in 2020-2021 at the temperature of 38 °C for 3 months using a thermal chamber designed by the Federal Horticultural Research Centеr for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery. Biometric parameters in pear plants depended on varietal characteristics, the duration of therapy and the concentration of the Pharmaiod preparation. In most of the varieties and forms studied, after 3 months of thermotherapy, the Pharmaiod preparation at a concentration of 1 ml/l contributed to an increase in the length of 1 shoot of pear plants by 1.4-3.1 times compared with the control. Under the conditions of a thermal chamber, according to a set of indicators, pear hybrids R-11-9 and R-10-3 were characterized by the highest heat resistance; medium heat resistance was shown by Letnyaya Zabava and Zolotoy Vityaz varieties; low – by R-2-4 hybrid. Higher heat-resistant varieties and forms were characterized by a more restrained growth of shoots in length compared to lower heat-resistant ones. An average negative significant correlation at the 5% significance level was established between the water content in the leaves and the length of 1 shoot (r = -0.52). The yield of virus-free pear plants depended on the type of virus. The yield of pear plants free from 4 major harmful viruses as a result of dry-air thermotherapy without the use of the Pharmaiod preparation was 50 %, with the use of the drug it was 60 %.

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agricola e Ambiental - Agriambi is the property of Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agricola e Ambiental 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 aimed to investigate the effects of dynamic controlled atmosphere (O2=0.90%~1.25% and CO2=0.06%~0.17%) on the real-time ethylene content of 'Bartlett' pears in comparison with commercial controlled atmosphere (CA) (O2=2.25% and CO2<0.10%). The effects of each controlled atmosphere on the fruit quality and physiological disease occurrence for the fruits from different orchards stored at 20° for 1 day and 5 days after being taken out from the storage chamber for packaging (December 3, 2019 and January 21, 2020). Based on the relationship between the real-time ethylene quantity and the incidence of brown spot disease, the optimal timing for taking the fruit out of the dynamic controlled atmosphere for packaging was predicted. Compared to the pears from 6 orchards in the commercial CA room (CA23), the ethylene content of the pears from 6 orchards in the dynamic CA room (CA24) decreased by 42.12% during storage. The dynamic CA treatment significantly inhibited the degradation of peel chlorophyll (p<0.05) after 1 and 5 d of storage at 20 °, and the incidence of brown spots after 5 d of storage at 20 ° (p<0.05), whilst causing no changes in the ethylene production rate, fruit firmness, softening potential, soluble solids content, and titratable acid. Upon the second out-for-packing, the average incidence of brown spots for the fruits in CA 23 was 30.00% (which reached the commercially unacceptable range, 30.00%), whilst the average incidence of brown spots for the fruits in CA 24 was 17.04%. According to the linear relationship between the real-time ethylene cumulative quantity and the incidence of brown spots, the average incidence of brown spots for the fruits in CA24 would be 30.00% on March 7, 2020. Compared to the commercial CA treatment, the dynamic CA treatment extends the fruit storage life by 1 month, indicating that the dynamic CA treatment is more valuable for commercial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species of pear sucker, also called pear psylla or pear psyllid, which are destructive insects belonging to the genus Cacopsylla (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) cause substantial damage to pear tree plantations. Two consecutive years of research were conducted on the population structure and biological cycle of psylla in a small, elderly, and unmaintained pear orchard in northern Romania. Of the two identified species (C. pyri L. and C. pyricola Forster), C. pyri dominated the psylla population with a percentage of 77.8-80.1%. Adults of both species emerge from hibernation in the first part of March and produce three generations per year. First generation adults emerge in the first decade of June, the second generation in the last decade of July, and the third generation in the first decade of September as they enter the hibernation phase. Larvae of the first generation appear in the second half of April, the second generation at the end of June - the beginning of July, and the third generation in the second decade of August. There have been reports of up to 11 adults and 27 larvae per leaf, 9 larvae per petiole, and 14 larvae per fruit. The number of adults captured on yellow sticky traps exposed on the southern side of the tree crown was significantly higher compared to the northern side. Following the intense attack, the well-known cv. ‘Williams’ was heavily affected, pear trees were badly defoliated, blackened, and aged prematurely. The climatic conditions of the two years did not influence the phenology of the pests, but the importance of monitoring psyllids is widely argued, considering that it remains the key to integrated protection programs in pear orchards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: We describe a semi in vivo pollination technique to determine the compatibility relation between different pear cultivars. This assay provides a valuable addition to existing tools in GSI research. The gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI) system in Pyrus inhibits fertilization by pollen that shares one of the two S-alleles of the style. Depending on their S-locus genotype, two pear cultivars therefore either show a cross-compatible, semi-compatible or incompatible interaction. Because GSI greatly influences seed and fruit set, accurate knowledge of the compatibility type of a cultivar is key for both pear fruit production and breeding. Currently, compatibility relations between different pear cultivars are generally assessed via S-genotyping. However, this approach is restricted to the currently known S-alleles in pear, and does not provide functional assessment of the level of (self-)incompatibility. We here present an optimized semi in vivo pollination assay, that enables quantitative analysis of (self-)incompatibility in pear, and that can also serve useful for more fundamental studies on pollen tube development and pollen–style interactions. This assay involves in vitro incubation of cut pollinated styles followed by microscopic counting of emerging pollen tubes at a specific time interval. The validity and selectivity of this method to determine compatibility interactions in pear is demonstrated in the cultivars "Celina" and "Packham's Triumph." Overall, this technique constitutes a valuable tool for quantitatively determining in vivo pollen tube growth and (cross-)compatibility in pear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aimed to evaluate the effect of ethylene treatment on ripening of 1-MCP treated pear after 6 months of cold storage. Pear treated with gaseous 1-MCP at 625–650 ppb for 24 h at 0 °C was stored at 0 °C for 6 months with normal air, and treated groups were exposed to 100 ppm ethylene at 20 °C for 24 h. After that, samples were kept at 0, 10, and 15 °C for 2 weeks. Stiffness, chlorophyll fluorescence, ethylene and CO2 production of fruit were investigated during 2 weeks. Application of ethylene resumed the ripening of pear after long term storage. The results showed that fruit treated with ethylene achieved more homogeneous surface colour in comparison with non ethylene treated pears. In addition, the ethylene and carbon dioxide production of ethylene treated pears had higher values than that of control. The ethylene treatment could accelerate the softening of pear. Temperature also has significant effect on ripening during storage. This study found that ethylene treatment could accelerate the normal ripening of 1-MCP treated pears. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A garden plant grafting technique enhanced by cold plasma (CAP) and plasma-treated solutions (PTS) is described for the first time. It has been shown that CAP created by a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and PTS makes it possible to increase the growth of Pyrus communis L. by 35–44%, and the diameter of the root collar by 10–28%. In this case, the electrical resistivity of the graft decreased by 20–48%, which indicated the formation of a more developed vascular system at the rootstock–scion interface. The characteristics of DBD CAP and PTS are described in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balanced supply of essential nutrients in fruit trees, such as “Rocha” pears, is an important tool to achieve maximum yield and fruit quality, yet under fertilization the interactions among nutrients accumulation may be positive (synergistic) or negative (antagonistic), being also possible to have no interactions. Through foliar spraying of “Rocha” pear trees with Ca, this study aimed to assess the interactions with other micro and macronutrients in the leaves, the related implications on the synthesis of photoassimilates and the subsequent kinetics of accumulation in the fruits at harvest. Between fruit set and 30 mm diameter, two times spraying, with fifteen days range, were carried out with Ca(NO3)2 or CaCl2 (0.1, 0.3 and 0.6 kg ha− 1 or 0.4, 0.8 and 1.6 kg ha− 1, respectively). Thereafter, with similar interval periods, for all treatments, trees were sprayed with CaCl2 (firstly at a concentration of 4 kg ha− 1 – second phase, followed by four with 8 kg ha− 1 – third phase). During fruit development, through the three spraying phases with Ca, the accumulation of Ca, K, P, S, Mg and Zn showed substantial variations in leaf tissues, which at fruit maturity determined some special and quantitative variations in tissues accumulation of C, H, O, K, Mg, Cl, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe. Nevertheless, the functioning of the photosynthetic apparatus and the morphological and colorimetric parameters were not impaired. Considering that during fruits development, although Ca translocation prevails in the xylem, being its redistribution through the phloem strongly limited, it was concluded that accumulation depends of the type of Ca fertilizer and concentration, prevailing an oscillating balance among Ca K, P, S, Mg and Zn deposition in the leaves and its slow removal from the mesophyll cells to the fruits until maturity. Besides, as at fruit maturity xylem functionality can be minimal, the major accumulation of Ca in the peripheral layers of the fruits, resulted from Ca spraying, whereas translocation through the xylem favored its accumulation in the core in the early stages of fruit development. Following this behavior, C, H, O, K, Mg, Cl, Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe further showed complex accumulation interactions in the fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the territory of the Academician A.V. Fomin Botanical garden three species of mites of the superfamily Eriophyoidea were found in pear orchards. It has been found that Eriophyes pyri Pgst and Epitrimerus pyri Nal. dominate. For the first time, individuals of Epitrimerus marginemtorguens Nal., have been found on pear leaves. Eriophyes pyri is a widespread and dangerous pest of pears in all localities of cultivating this plant species in Ukraine. Epitrimerus pyri is less harmful in pear plantations of the botanical garden. Epitrimerus marginemtorguens appeared mainly in the second half of the growing season. The phenology of four-legged mites has been clarified and the sequence of Eriophyes pyri leaf population on a growing pear shoot has been determined. The period of formation of 7-9 ordinal leaves on the growing shoot is the key moment when the first generation of mites leaves the old galls and colonizes the newly formed leaves. During this period, the phytophagy moves from a hidden to an open way of life and is available for methods and means used in plant protection. A similar moment is also observed during the migration of the second generation to the apical leaves and the third generation - to the buds for wintering, but this process is greatly extended over time and is not so suitable for applying the acaricides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A garden plant grafting technique enhanced by cold plasma (CAP) and plasma-treated solutions (PTS) is described for the first time. It has been shown that CAP created by a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and PTS makes it possible to increase the growth of Pyrus communis L. by 35–44%, and the diameter of the root collar by 10–28%. In this case, the electrical resistivity of the graft decreased by 20–48%, which indicated the formation of a more developed vascular system at the rootstock–scion interface. The characteristics of DBD CAP and PTS are described in detail.

Summary: Ethylene continues to be a major factor influencing quality of European pears during storage. Although research has been done on the effect of pre‐harvest 1‐methylcyclopropene (1‐MCP) on physiological characteristics in pears, a full understanding of cultivar response and antioxidant metabolism remains elusive. Spraying 1‐MCP on 'Bartlett' and 'd'Anjou' pears was studied with respect to physiology, storage and eating quality, disorders, and antioxidant properties at two harvest date (H1 and H2) during storage and ripening. Treatment with 1‐MCP extended the harvest window of 'Bartlett' and 'd'Anjou' pears 3 and 4 days, respectively, without reducing storage or eating quality. Treatment with 1‐MCP reduced ethylene production (EPR) and respiration rates (RR), maintained fruit firmness and green colour during storage and retarded development of desirable melting texture in both cultivars. Additionally, 1‐MCP lowered the incidence of disorders by alleviating membrane lipid peroxidation, retaining high total flavonoids (TF) and antioxidant capacity, and enhancing superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity in both cultivars. Overall, pre‐harvest 1‐MCP applications could extend storage time of 'Bartlett' and 'd'Anjou' pears to 5 and 6 months, respectively, at −1.1 ± 0.5 °C, by reducing ethylene synthesis and enhancing antioxidant metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ege Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Ege 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 Anadolu (1300-0225) is the property of Anadolu Dergisi 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 genetic diversity of pear local varieties prospected in mountainous areas from Northeastern Spain (Pyrenees and Iberian Cordillera) is not well known so far. In this study, an overall set of 252 accessions (178 prospected in mountainous areas from Aragon and a diverse set of 74 reference cultivars) was analyzed using 14 SSRs in order to estimate its genetic diversity and to identify the genetic structure and relationships among the pear germplasm studied. A total of 251 distinct alleles were successfully amplified with an average of 17.9 alleles per locus and with a wide genetic diversity (mean expected heterozygosity of 0.82). In total, 228 unique genotypes were identified and 210 genotypes were represented by a single accession indicating a situation of extreme vulnerability of these pear genetic resources held in the CITA collection. An amount of 32.9% of accessions were considered triploids displaying three alleles at least into two loci. Genetic analyses performed by a model-based Bayesian procedure, principal coordinate analysis and analysis of molecular variance supported the presence of a genetic stratification with the existence of four sub-groups among the accessions, with a highly significant differentiation (FST = 0.132; p < 0.001). These results shed light on the characterization and genetic relatedness between these local accessions and currently cultivated pear cultivars and highlight the importance to safeguarding this diversity that might be essential for new breeding programs.

Aim of study: Leaf area (LA) is an important variable for many stages of plant growth and development such as light interception, water and nutrient use, photosynthetic efficiency, respiration, and yield potential. This study aimed to determine the easiest, most accurate and most reliable LA estimation model for the pear using linear measurements of leaf geometry and comparing their performance with artificial neural networks (ANN). Area of study: Samsun, Turkey. Material and methods: Different numbers of leaves were collected from 12 pear cultivars to measure leaf length (L), and width (W) as well as LA. The multiple linear regression (MLR) was used to predict the LA by using L and W. Different ANN models comprising different number of neuron were trained and used to predict LA. Main results: The general linear regression LA estimation model was found to be LA = -0.433 + 0.715LW (R2 = 0.987). In each pear cultivar, ANN models were found to be more accurate in terms of both the training and testing phase than MLR models. Research highlights: In the prediction of LA for different pear cultivars, ANN can thus be used in addition to MLR, as effective tools to circumvent difficulties met in the direct measurement of LA in the laboratory.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes níveis de poda radicular sobre o crescimento vegetativo, produção e qualidade de frutos de pereira Abate Fetel. O experimento foi conduzido durante as safras 2007 e 2008. Os tratamentos consistiram em: poda radicular a 20 cm da planta, 35 cm e controle sem realização de poda radicular. A poda radicular apresentou controle do vigor e na manutenção de características vegetativas, no entanto, não influenciou os índices produtivos e físico-químicos dos frutos. Conclui-se que a poda radicular promove controle do vigor em pereira Abate Fetel.

Climate change is leading to higher plant water requirements and rootstock can play a role in tree adaptation, since the more vigorous ones are also likely to be more stress resistant. Pear trees of the cv. Abbé Fetél grafted on BA29 (more vigorous) and SYDO (more dwarfing) quince were irrigated according to three different treatments: 110 C, 80 DI and 60 DI, corresponding to 110%, 80% and 60% of the crop evapotranspiration rate (ETc), respectively. Shoot and fruit growth, water potentials, leaf gas exchanges and dry matter content were monitored during the season. Fruit quality was evaluated at harvest and after 6 months of storage at 1 °C. Results show how for both rootstocks, 60 DI significantly decreased their stem (Ψstem) and leaf (Ψleaf) water potentials as well as leaf gas exchanges. In SYDO, final fruit size was affected by irrigation, with lower values on 60 DI, but in BA29, no differences were found between treatments. After storage, BA29 60 DI fruit showed a higher soluble solid content, while in SYDO fruit, firmness was more affected by irrigation level. In conclusion, despite a slight decrease in fruit size, reduced irrigation led to fruit with higher quality features that were also maintained after a long period of storage.

Growing social interest in foods with high biological quality results in the need to look for possibilities of increasing the biological quality of food products. The aim of this research was an attempt to estimate the increase of polyphenolic compounds (by UPLC-PDA-MS/MS) in the flesh and skin of pear under the influence of stress elicitors such as UVC radiation, L-EMF, H-EMF and US with various exposure times. The applied stress factors differentiated the content of phenolic acids, flavan-3-ols and flavonols both in flesh and in skin. In all cases, pear skin demonstrated a decrease in the sum of polyphenolic compounds; however, when it comes to flavan-3-ols and procyanidins, the concentration of the compounds increased in two cases: after a 30-min exposure to L-EMF (+ 18%) and after a 5-min exposure to H-EMF (+ 20%). Following a 30-min flesh exposure to US, the determined sum of polyphenolic compounds was + 28% higher than in the control sample. It was observed that the level of flavan-3-ols and procyanidins in the flesh increased after a 60-min exposure to UVC radiation and low-frequency and high-frequency electromagnetic fields, and after a 20-min and 30-min exposure to ultrasounds. The presence of flavonols was only observed in pear skin. The research results show that it is possible to produce juice with a higher content of polyphenolic compounds, because juice is obtained mainly from the flesh; however, there is a need for further research to confirm the observed tendencies in the changes of polyphenolic compounds in fractions of pears. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floral scents are important pollinator attractants, but there is limited knowledge about the importance of single components in plant–pollinator interactions. This especially is true in crop pollination systems. The aim of this study is to identify floral volatiles of several European pear cultivars (Pyrus communis L.), and to determine their potential in eliciting physiological responses in antennae of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.), the most important pollinators of pear. Volatiles were collected by dynamic headspace and analysed by (high resolution) gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Antennal responses were investigated by GC coupled to electroantennographic detection (GC/EAD). We trapped in the mean 256 ng of scent per flower and hour (flower−1 h−1) from the different cultivars with either linalool + methyl benzoate or methyl 2-hydroxy-3-methylpentanoate as most abundant compounds. Of the 108 detected pear floral scent components, 17 were electrophysiologically active in honey bee antennae. Among these compounds were (E)-N-(2-methylbutyl)- and (E)-N-(3-methylbutyl)-1-(pyridin-3-yl)methanimine, which were not known from nature before to the best of our knowledge. Most other compounds identified as flower scent in pear are widespread compounds, known from flowers of various other species. Our results provide new insights in the floral volatile chemistry of an important insect-pollinated crop and show for the first time that honey bees have the olfactory ability to detect several pear floral volatiles. These data are an important basis for more detailed studies of the olfactory communication between honey bees and European pear flowers and might in the long term be used to manipulate the attractiveness of pear to obtain optimal fruit set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, physico-chemical and sensory evaluations of F1 genotypes that were obtained by hybridizations from 'Akça' which is a approvingly consumed early harvest cultivar in our country were made. Furthermore, the susceptibility level of hybrids to fire blight, which is the most devastating disease of pome fruit species was detected. Among the pomological characteristics, fruit width, fruit length, shape index, fruit weight and fruit flesh hardness were varied between 35.84 - 59.19 mm, 42.59 - 71.80 mm, 0.90 - 1.85, 25.53 - 101.40 g, 3.38 - 6.87 kg.cm², respectively. Soluble solid content, pH, titreable acidity, Vitamin C and antioxidant activity values were determined in the range of %10,93 - 16,77, 3,15 - 4,52, % 0.16 - 0.64, 2.00 - 5,33 mg.L-1 ve %23.37 - 81,20. As a result of weighted rating method, formed by the parameters which bring the commercial value of the genotypes to the forefront, four genotypes have the potential to be registered as early pear cultivar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Ciencias Agroveterinarias is the property of Revista de Ciencias Agroveterinarias 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.)

Highlights • Pear parenchyma cell walls have the highest affinity for procyanidins. • Pear skin cell walls have the lowest affinity for procyanidins. • Overripening promotes binding of procyanidins for all pear cell walls. Abstract Procyanidins and cell walls were extracted from pear at ripe and overripe stages in order to investigate the impact of ripening stage on their association. Procyanidin composition and structure remained stable at the overripe stage. Mid Infrared Spectroscopy (MIR) discriminated cell wall-procyanidin complex from initial purified cell wall material (CWM). Interactions between procyanidins and CWM isolated from the whole flesh (FL), parenchyma cells (PC), stone cells (ST) and skin (SK) at ripe and overripe stage were characterized using UV–Vis spectrometry using Langmuir isotherm formulation and Isothermal Titration Microcalorimetry (ITC). The affinity between procyanidins and CWM decreased as follows: PC > FL > ST > SK. The proportion of bound procyanidins increased at the overripe stage for all CWM and the maximal saturation level was obtained for overripe FL and ST. ITC indicated that associations between pear cell walls and procyanidins involved hydrogen bonds and mainly hydrophobic interactions for overripe PC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Core browning (CB) is a crucial physiological disorder that occurs in 'Bartlett' pears after excessive storage. Furthermore, environmental factors such as sunlight exposure cause serious related disorders during storage. 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) positively delays the development of disorders, but results in poor eating quality at retail. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to evaluate whether sunlight exposure impacts the development of CB in 'Bartlett' pears and to develop optimal postharvest 1-MCP strategies for the pear industry to extend the fruit's lifespan and deliver desirable eating quality to consumers that prefer melting texture. Over the course of a three-year evaluation, sunlight-exposed (SE) pears consistently displayed a higher CB index than the control and non-exposed (NE) pears after 150 d of regular-air (RA) storage at − 1.1 ± 0.5 °C plus 5 d at 20 ± 0.5 °C. The rapid development of CB was facilitated by decreases in ethylene production rate (EPR), peel chlorophyll content (PCC), and titratable acidity associated with increases in malondialdehyde and soluble o -quinones. Applying 0.15 and 0.3 μL L−1 1-MCP after 15 d of harvest completely protected the fruit from CB for up to 150 d of RA storage. However, these treated pears did not ripen. Lowering the 1-MCP concentration to 0.075 μL L−1 and postponing treatment to 60 d after harvest could control the CB index in the 1.53–2.33 range with a normal ripening process. For SE pears, the use of 0.15 μL L−1 1-MCP applied after 60 d of harvest reduced the CB index to 1.63 without impairing ripening capacity. It was difficult for the pear industry to monitor the EPR of 1-MCP-treated pears over the entire storage period. However, when the PCC of the treated pears fell to 0.4–0.5 I AD after 5 d of ripening, these pears could recover their ethylene generation capacity and softening behavior. Overall, the 0.15–0.075 μL L−1 1-MCP applied after 60 d of harvest provided great benefits in delaying CB development, improving storability, and retaining ripening capacity in SE 'Bartlett' pears following the prolonged RA storage. • Sunlight induced a high core browning in 'Bartlett' pears after 150 d of storage. • MDA and soluble o -quinones contributed to the progress of sunlight-related CB. • 0.15–0.075 μL L−1 1-MCP applied after 60 d of harvest reduced CB index. • Peel chlorophyll content could predict fruit softening and CB after treating 1-MCP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to determine the conditioning temperature period for inducing uniform ripening of 'Abate Fetel' pears as well as to determine the maximum storage period with no quality loss. Three harvests were carried out at weekly intervals and each harvest date was considered a factorial experiment (7x3), with seven storage periods at 0 ± 1 ºC and 90 ± 5% relative humidity (0; 20; 40; 60; 80; 100 and 120 days) and three periods at room temperature (20 ± 1 ºC) (zero, three and six days). The assessed quality attributes were flesh firmness, starch content, weight loss and soluble solids content. Acceptance and purchase intention sensory tests were carried out. Cold storage was efficient in inducing uniform ripening in 'Abate Fetel' pears after 20 days at low temperature followed by six days at room temperature for fruit from the three harvest dates. 'Abate Fetel' pears harvested at harvest maturity of 57 N can be stored for up to 120 days and commercialized within six days with no quality loss. However, fruit harvested at flesh firmness below 55 N can be stored for 80 days and commercialized within six days or stored for 100 days and commercialized within three days.

Since the European pear (Pyrus communis L.) is a self-incompatible fruit species, synchrony and compatibility between female parts of the mother plant and male gametes from the pollen donor must be fulfilled. Besides pollination and fertilization, normal embryo and zygote development is one of the prerequisites for the satisfactory yields in pears. The main goal of this experiment was to investigate the functionality of embryo sacs and the embryo’s early stages of growth in relation to the fruit set of diploid (‘Celina’) and the triploid (‘Ingeborg’) pear cultivars under specific Norwegian climatic conditions. For this purpose, flowers were collected at the beginning of flowering, and on the third, sixth, ninth, and twelfth days after the beginning of this phenophase for two consecutive years. Ovaries were dehydrated, embedded in paraffin wax, sectioned, stained, and observed under the light microscope. In the analyzed cultivars, results showed different tendencies in embryo sac development and degradation processes, in both experimental years, which is probably due to the genetic background of the examined cultivars. Also, fertilization success and fruit set were higher in the second year of study due to the higher average temperature during the flowering period. Diploid cultivar ‘Celina’ showed much better adaptation to high temperatures in relation to triploid cultivar ‘Ingeborg’.

The diploid Celina/QTee® (‘Colorée de Juillet’ × ‘Williams’), one of the most promising pear cultivars developed by the Norwegian breeding program Graminor, was launched in 2010. In Norway, the flowering is medium to late, while the fruits ripen in the beginning of September. The fruits are attractive with an intense red blush (50%) on a green background. Although, ‘Celina’ is cultivated in the most climatically suitable regions for fruit cultivation, present in Norway, unfavorable environmental conditions for pear pollination can have a very negative effect on fruit set and consequent yield. The aim of this study was to determine the S-alleles of ‘Celina’, as well as its frequently used pollinizers, and, through paternity testing of ‘Celina’ seeds, give a recommendation regarding the most important pollinizers of this pear cultivar. In order to accomplish this, ‘Celina’ and its potential pollinizers were all S-genotyped. After harvest, seeds collected from ‘Celina’ fruit in 2017 and 2018 were genotyped using eleven microsatellite markers. Genomic DNA was also extracted from leaf material collected from ‘Celina’, as well as from five pear cultivars used as pollinizers in the three examined orchards, and analyzed using the same marker set. Subsequently a simple sequence repeat (SSR) database was constructed and used for gene assignment analyses with the aim of quantifying pollen donor contribution from individual pollinizers. The obtained results indicate that ‘Anna’, the only examined pollinizer that was fully cross-compatible with ‘Celina’, together with ‘Fritjof’, the genotype which had the highest flowering overlap with ‘Celina’, proved to be the most successful pollinizers across all seasons and orchards. Although both cultivars were ubiquitous in the examined orchards, either as planted trees or as branches introduced during the flowering period, they were the most abundant pollinizers in only one orchard each. It is therefore possible to conclude that pollinizer abundance has a secondary significance in pollinizer success within investigated ‘Celina’ orchards.

As diversas tentativas falhas de produção de peras no Brasil são impulsionadas pelo elevado consumo, que apresenta um cenário crescente de importação para atender a demanda interna. Em 2015 foram importadas 179 mil toneladas de peras, sendo a maior parte da Argentina e Portugal. A limitação do cultivo de pereira não tem sido por falta de mercado, mas devido a diversos fatores, como por exemplo, a baixa frutificação efetiva, a insuficiente formação de estruturas de produção e o excesso de crescimento vegetativo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o crescimento vegetativo e frutificação efetiva de pereiras europeias submetidas a diferentes técnicas de redução de vigor. O experimento foi conduzido na safra 2012/2013 e 2013/2014 em um pomar comercial de pereiras localizado no município de Vacaria, RS, situada a 971 m de altitude. As pereiras Packham’s Triumph, William’s, Red Bartlett, Abate Fetel e Carrick, todas enxertadas sobre o portaenxerto Pyrus calleryana, foram submetidas aos tratamentos de anelamento simples, anelamento duplo, corte de tronco simples, corte de tronco duplo e aplicação do fitorregulador Trinexapac-etil (1600 mg L-1). De acordo com os resultados obtidos foi possível observar que houve redução do crescimento vegetativo apenas na cultivar Packham’s submetida ao anelamento duplo, corte de tronco simples e Trinexapac-etil. A utilização da técnica de anelamento e corte de tronco incrementa o retorno de floração e também a produtividade das pereiras ‘Abate Fetel’ e ‘Carrick’, bem como a aplicação de Trinexapac-etil reduz o retorno de florescimento destas cultivares nas condições do estudo.

Abstract Information on root development is an essential tool capable of identifying, among plants of a species, the one that has the greatest capacity to potentiate growth and development characteristics in its aerial part. The aim of this study was to characterize the distribution of the root system throughout the soil profile of different European pear cultivars and quince rootstock combinations on medium plant density systems (2500 plants ha-1). The combinations evaluated were: Abbè Fetel/Adams, Clapp´s Favourite/EMA, Santa Maria/Adams, Rocha/Adams, Decana du Comice/Adams, Packham´s Triumph/EMA, Packham´s Triumph/Adams and Conference/ Adams. In relation to effective depth, it was observed that up to 40 cm deep, 80% of the total root length and 83% of root concentration were found for all combinations. For the effective distance, it was observed that 80% of the total root length is distributed in up to 80 cm for all combinations, except for Clapp’s Favourite/EMA, whose actual distance was 100 cm. It was observed that the average of six combinations, 86% of root growth in the horizontal distance is located up to 80 cm.

RESUMO O trabalho teve como objetivo testar a eficácia de tratamentos químicos na manutenção da qualidade de peras ‘Williams’ minimamente processadas. Inicialmente, realizaram-se a lavagem, a sanitização e a retirada das sementes dos frutos. Em seguida, foram realizados cortes no formato de palitos, e os mesmos foram imersos nas soluções, compondo os tratamentos: ácido ascórbico a 2 % (controle); ácido ascórbico a 2% + cloreto de cálcio a 2%; ácido ascórbico a 2% + ácido cítrico a 2%; ácido cítrico a 1%; cloridrato de L-cisteína a 1%. Os frutos foram acondicionados em bandejas de polipropileno, armazenados em câmara fria a 5ºC por 12 dias e avaliados a cada três dias. O tratamento com cloridrato de L-cisteína a 1% foi o mais eficaz na inibição do escurecimento em peras minimamente processadas; no entanto, frutos tratados com ácido ascórbico + cloreto de cálcio apresentaram maior firmeza durante todo o período avaliado, além de quantidades significativamente maiores de vitamina C quando comparado a formulações que não continham ácido ascórbico na composição.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the response to phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilization and to establish the critical levels of P and K in the soil and in the plant tissue in pear trees. Two experiments were conducted in São Joaquim (SC), Brazil. In experiment 1, the plants received annually the application of increasing rates of phosphate fertilizer (0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 kg P2O5 ha-1), while in experiment 2, increasing rates of potassium fertilizer (0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 kg K2O ha-1) were applied annually. In the two experiments, soil was collected annually from the 0-10, 10-20 and 0-20 cm layers, and the available P (experiment 1) and exchangeable K (experiment 2) content was analyzed. Whole leaves were collected annually, which were subjected to analysis of total P (experiment 1) and total K (experiment 2) content. The number and weight of the fruits per plant and fruit yield were evaluated. Application of P on the soil planted with pear trees increased the nutrient content in the soil and, in most crop seasons, in the whole leaf, but it did not affect the yield components and fruit yield. The application of K on the soil with pear trees increased the nutrient content in the soil and, in most of the crop seasons, in the whole leaf, but the potassium content in the whole leaf decreased in the crop season with greater fruit yield. The yield components and fruit yield were not affected by K fertilization.

A fenologia representa uma ferramenta primordial para a inserção de culturas em áreas que apresentam condições diferentes daquelas nas quais estão adaptadas. Opresente trabalho objetivou caracterizar fenológica e produtivamente pereira ‘Triunfo’, sob condiçãosemiárida tropical, no Vale do São Francisco, Nordeste brasileiro. O experimento foi conduzido de 10 de fevereiro a 2 julho de 2012, em pomar experimental, na Estação Experimental de Bebedouro da Embrapa Semiárido,em Petrolina-PE, Brasil. Foram realizadas observações diárias, do estádio de gema dormente até o amadurecimento dos frutos, e foram avaliados os seguintes parâmetros de produção: i) vingamento: a relação entrenúmero de flores e de frutos (%); ii) o número de frutos por planta; iii) produção de frutos por planta (kg); e iv) produtividade (t/ha). O ciclo fenológico da pereira ‘Triunfo’ durou 144 dias, o vingamento obtido foide 11,43%, o número de frutos por planta de 162, produção por planta de 26,34 kg e produtividade de 26,33 t ha-1. Baseado nos resultados obtidos, foi constatada a possibilidade de produção de frutos de pereira emcondição semiárida tropical.

Recent trends towards greater fresh market use of 'Bartlett' pears has increased the need to extend its storage life to prolong the packing and marketing season in the United States Pacific Northwest region. Sixteen and 38%, respectively, of control fruit developed senescence disorders following 5 and 6 months of storage at −1.1°C. Commercial standard controlled atmosphere (CA) conditions (O2 at 1.5 kPa and CO2 < 1 kPa) or edible coating (Semperfresh™, SF) prevent the appearance of senescence disorders for 5 months, but 9% and 16% of fruit, respectively, developed senescence disorders after 6 months. The combination of CA+SF completely inhibited senescence disorders for 6 months. Treatment with CA and SF, alone or in combination, maintained high-storage quality and developed ripening capacity with characteristic melting texture during storage. Senescence disorders were inhibited for 6 months by 0.3 µL l−1 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), alone or combination with CA or CA+SF. In part these pears developed ripening capacity after 6 months of storage. The combination of CA+SF+1-MCP maintained the highest storage quality with dark green colour and hard firmness, which might be associated and proportional with reductions in ethylene synthesis and respiration rate after long-term storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To optimize storage quality of ‘d’Anjou’ pears (Pyrus communis L.) produced in the US Pacific Northwest regions, the recommended harvest maturity as indicated by flesh pressure is 67 to 58 N. Over-mature pears are more susceptible to superficial scald and inferior eating quality after storage. However, a significant portion of pears is harvested at an over-mature stage due to rapid on-tree maturation during years with labor shortages. 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) extends storage quality of pears but interferes their ultimate ripening capacity. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of 1-MCP on over-mature ‘d’Anjou’ pears. Fruit from two orchards at fruit firmness (FF) 55.6 and 56.0 N were treated with 0.15 μL L−1 1-MCP, held at − 1.1 °C for up to 7 months. 1-MCP treatment significantly inhibited ethylene synthesis and respiration rate, reduced superficial scald, and maintained high storage quality of over-mature pears from two orchards during 7 months of storage. After 7 months of storage at − 1.1 °C, some of the pears from Orchard 1 recovered ripening capacity after 5 days at 20 °C. The development of superficial scald in over-mature ‘Anjou’ pears was associated with the accumulation of α-farnesene and conjugated trienols (CTols). 1-MCP significantly inhibited the development of scald, perhaps by alleviating membrane lipid peroxidation and enhancing total antioxidant capacity, antioxidant metabolites (i.e., total polyphenols (TP) and total flavonoids (TF)), and related enzyme activities (i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT)) in pear skin. Overall, this study provides the preliminary basis for commercial application of 1-MCP in over-mature pears and demonstrates its potential to maintain fruit quality and reduce the incidence of superficial scald. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this study was to verify whether interactions between bioactive compounds play an important role in the creation of functional fruit juices. Assessment of organoleptic parameters, colour, total soluble solids (TSS), total titratable acidity (TTA), antioxidant activity, polyphenols and vitamin C content and the interaction factor was performed. The juices were analysed before and after 5 months of storage at 25 °C. The effect of different dose mixtures on the quality of pear and cranberrybush juice was observed. The degree of consumer acceptance of the mixture of juices and the ratio TSS/TTA, which influence the preferences of consumers, were higher in the case of products PC1 and PC2. The analysed products differed significantly in the content of bioactive compounds, the highest content of phenolic compounds being observed for PC5. Taking into account the analysis of the interaction between juices, the most active was the PC2 juice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Ciencias Agroveterinarias is the property of Revista de Ciencias Agroveterinarias 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.)

Knowledge of fruit firmness in the distribution chain is essential for stakeholders, including producers, agri-food industries, and consumers. In recent years, there has been a general interest in predicting ripening-related firmness with non-destructive techniques. The objective of this study was to create a model, based on non-destructive methods that assess directly critical physiological parameters and quality attributes related to ripening, along with shelf-life time, to predict firmness of 'Rocha' pear (Pyrus communis L.), a protected designation of origin (PDO) commodity. Hereto, pear firmness profile was assessed for ten days at room temperature, after removal from different storage periods at cold conditions. Ripening was evaluated based on color alterations, ethylene production, and respiration rate. Pear firmness decreased drastically over time, concomitant with the yellowing of the fruit skin and increased ethylene production and respiration rate. These characteristics and shelf-life time were correlated with firmness by applying the Partial Least Squares (PLS) procedure to develop a mathematical model for predicting pear firmness during ripening. The model explained 89 % of the firmness variance during ripening and, after validation, showed high accuracy (R2 = 0.87). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that these physiological parameters, directly related to ripening-firmness, have been used to predict pear firmness using non-destructive measurements of the samples. [Display omitted] • Firmness was correlated with ethylene, respiration, and color across shelf-life. • Firmness was predicted non-destructively using ethylene, respiration, and color. • A robust prediction model explaining 89% of firmness variation was developed. • The model was successfully validated with a different data set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precision agriculture is a management approach for sustainable agriculture. It can be applied even in small fields. It aims to optimize inputs, improve profits, and reduce adverse environmental impacts. In this study, a series of measurements were conducted over three growing seasons to assess variability in a 0.55 ha pear orchard located in central Greece. Soil ECa was measured using EM38 sensor, while soil samples were taken from a grid 17 × 8 m and analysed for texture, pH, P, K, Mg, CaCO3, and organic matter content. Data analysis indicated that most of the nutrients were at sufficient levels. Soil and yield maps showed considerable variability while fruit quality presented small variations across the orchard. Yield fluctuations were observed, possibly due to climatic conditions. Prescription maps were developed for nitrogen variable rate application (VRA) for two years based on the replacement of the nutrients removed by the crop. VRA application resulted in 56% and 50% reduction of N fertiliser compared to uniform application.