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AbstractLingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) is a dwarf shrub that is native to Northern climates. The berries are harvested from wild plants and the disease incidence in the crop is generally low. However, disease pressure may increase since the surface area dedicated to the crop is expected to expand in the future. In 2021 and 2022, brown necrotic leaves and stem dieback symptoms were observed on lingonberry plants grown at the St. John’s Research and Development Center, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Pathogens were isolated from the diseased plant tissues and identified as Neopestalotiopsis rosae (n = 2) and Neopestalotiopsis zimbabwana (n = 2) using colony and conidia morphology as well as sequencing of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS), beta-tubulin gene (ß-tub), and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene (tef1). Pathogenicity assays in detached lingonberry and strawberry leaves as well as lingonberry plants indicated that all four isolates were able to cause disease. This is the first report of N. rosae and N. zimbabwana causing leaf spot and stem dieback of lingonberry. Further monitoring of this disease is important to understand its prevalence in berry crops, as Neopestalotiopsis spp. in Canada have been reported to occur since 2018 in strawberry and other small fruits. Control measures and strategies are required to mitigate the potential risk from the disease, as there are no registered fungicides available to the growers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Day-neutral strawberry (DNS) production is increasing in the Upper Midwest because of its extended harvest season and greater yield over June-bearing cultivars. However, the longer season increases fruit exposure to the invasive spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii; SWD), which threatens the production of small fruits and berries, particularly in organic systems. Numerous pest management tactics have been developed for SWD in recent years; however, relatively few studies have investigated the impact of SWD on DNS. Organic DNS growers need information regarding which management strategy is most effective when compared directly. To address this knowledge gap, we established a 2-year controlled field experiment with organic DNS. We applied treatments that correspond with techniques that local growers reported using or that have shown promise for organic raspberries, including increased harvest frequency, botanical-based repellents, and weekly rotations of organic insecticides, which we compared with an untreated control. We hypothesized that noninsecticidal SWD management strategies would result in fewer SWD eggs per berry and a lower proportion of infested berries compared with those associated with an untreated control. We also hypothesized that noninsecticidal management strategies would be as effective and cost less than organic insecticide applications. We collected data regarding labor hours, direct costs, strawberry yield, and SWD infestation in experimental plots on certified organic land in Minnesota in 2022 and 2023. An average of 33% of strawberries contained SWD eggs. The experimental treatments showed inconsistent effectiveness for reducing infestation compared with that of the untreated control plots and had no effect on marketable plant yield over the 2-year period. Thus, the added labor expense of these pest control treatments yielded net returns that were 17% to 21% below the control. Labor-saving alternatives like exclusion netting or postharvest cold treatments, which reduce fruit pest exposure and egg viability without harming nontarget insects, may offer more cost-effective solutions for managing SWD in organic DNS.

Aroniaberry (Aronia mitschurinii) produces small pome fruits that possess health promoting compounds. Management practices for orchards are lacking, since aroniaberry is a relatively new crop. Pruning is an important cultural practice to optimize fruit yield in orchards. The response of an established aroniaberry orchard to pruning was evaluated over three years (2020 to 2022). Pruning treatments were as follows: 1) renewal pruning (removal of shoots to the base) only in year 1; 2) renewal pruning in year 1 + thinning to 18 shoots in year 2; 3) renewal pruning in year 1 + thinning to 9 shoots in year 2; and 4) no-pruning (control). In response to renewal pruning, plants grew uniformly and vigorously, producing 28 new vegetative primary shoots with an average length of 66 cm by the end of the first growing season. Limited flowering and fruiting occurred in the second season for plants receiving pruning treatments. Fruit yield on pruned plants was significantly less than for unpruned controls. In season 2, increased thinning of renewal-pruned plants negatively affected the number of inflorescences per plant, but positively affected individual fruit fresh weight and fruit °Brix:titratable acidity ratios. Fruits from all treatments had similar monomeric anthocyanins, total phenolics and mineral content. In season 3, flower production and predicted fruit yield from pruned plants and unpruned controls were similar, even though pruned plants were substantially smaller. In the third season, there were no longer any differences between renewed + thinned plants and those that received only renewal pruning, making shoot thinning an unnecessary practice. The results of this study demonstrate that renewal pruning can be an effective way to manage and rejuvenate an aging aroniaberry orchard.

In vitro propagation, also known as micropropagation, has become the most widely employed method for blackberry propagation, as it overcomes the limitations of the traditional asexual propagation methods (mainly layering and cutting). In this context, synthetic seed technology represents a strategy to enhance the productivity of in vitro propagation and facilitates the exchange of plant materials between laboratories, contributing to germplasm conservation. This study aimed to identify the most suitable vegetative propagule for the encapsulation of blackberry. To this end, uninodal microcuttings (nodes) and the base of clumps were used to produce synthetic seeds for the cultivars Thornfree and Chester. Forty-five days after sowing, viability (percentage of green propagules without browning or necrosis), regeneration (percentage of propagules that sprouted and rooted simultaneously), number of shoots produced, shoot length, number of roots produced, root length, and the fresh and dry weights of the plantlets were measured. The results demonstrated that both considered propagules allowed us to obtain satisfactory regeneration rates. However, plantlets originating from the encapsulated clump's base had more shoots and roots, resulting in greater fresh and dry weights than the plantlets derived from encapsulated nodes. Therefore, for achieving more robust plantlets and enhancing overall procedural efficiency, we recommend using the base of clumps as a propagule for blackberry encapsulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Studies on the adaptability of raspberry cultivars to subtropical regions are needed since growth, yield, and fruit quality may differ from levels observed in temperate climates. This study evaluated the phenology, yield, physical-chemical attributes, and bioactive compounds of raspberries produced in a subtropical region of Brazil under an organic cropping system. The experiment was carried out in three production cycles 2018/2019, 2019/2020, and 2020/2021 in Pinhais, Paraná State, Brazil. We evaluated ten raspberry cultivars, eight primocanes (Alemãzinha, Autumn Bliss, Bababerry, Fallgold, Golden Bliss, Heritage, Indian Summer and Polana), and two floricane cultivars (Schoenmann and Willamette). Phenological evaluations were carried out weekly at the beginning and end of flowering and harvesting. The soluble solids content, titratable acidity, the pH, and bioactive compounds were analyzed. Primocane cultivars showed two flowering and fruiting periods, the first in spring/summer and the other in summer/autumn, except for the Indian Summer cultivar, which showed a floricane-fruiting behavior, bearing fruit only on one-year-old canes, like Schoenmann and Willamette cultivars. ‘Alemãzinha’ shows better adaptation to the region under study with higher yield and concentration of total polyphenols, but its fruits are small and acidic. ‘Heritage’ is also an option for cultivation in this region, even though it is less productive, as the fruits are larger, less acidic, and have high levels of bioactive compounds. Yellow cultivars Fallgold and Golden Bliss are good options for diversifying the color offer, with yields similar to ‘Heritage’ and with a high total soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio.

Many specialty crop growers are transitioning high-value crops from in-ground production to soilless culture due to the diminishing availability of fumigants, increasing pest pressure, extreme weather, and the need for flexible production practices. The objective of this study was to determine the research and educational needs of specialty crop growers who are transitioning to soilless substrates. North American growers were surveyed using an online instrument that incorporated Likert-type statement matrices, open-ended questions, and demographic questions. Additionally, two virtually led focus groups were conducted to further expand upon the quantitative findings with descriptive data. Respondents indicated the most important factors in considering whether to adopt soilless substrates were improving, managing, and reducing overall plant quality, disease management, and crop loss, respectively. The most important research needs were understanding the effects of substrates on crop quality and uniformity, fertilizer management, and economic costs and benefits/return on investment. In both the grower survey and focus groups, crop quality and uniformity were among the highest-scored responses. Food safety, disease and pest management, consumer perception, substrate disposal-related issues, transportation, and return-on-investment were also identified as important factors when considering soilless substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Barberries are a broad class of spiny evergreen or deciduous shrubs belonging to the Berberidaceae family. They are of great importance due to their different parts' nutritional and medicinal properties and their ornamental applications. Genus Berberis, the biggest genus in Berberidaceae, includes more than 660 species. Barberry grows in Asia and Europe and has been used extensively as a medicinal plant in traditional medicine. In Iranian traditional medicine, several properties, such as antibacterial, antipyretic, antipruritic and antiarrhythmic, have been reported with unknown mechanisms of action. Incredible structural diversity among barberries' active components makes them a valuable source of novel therapeutic compounds. Seedless barberry (Berberis integerrima 'Asperma') is one of Iran's valuable indigenous medicinal plants. Common asexual propagation of this plant over the years and consequently low genetic diversity in populations of the seedless barberry restricts selection outcomes in breeding programs. Utilizing the indigenous wild genotypes of the barberry genus, which are easily able to cross-pollinate, is one of the best methods to increase genetic diversity. Accordingly, several wild seedy barberry genotypes were identified from all over Iran, collected and established in a collection in Mashhad; then, 16 genotypes were selected and their physical properties were studied. Materials and Methods In this study, ripe fruits of sixteen unique genotypes (i.e., Iranian seedless barberry and fifteen seedy genotypes) were harvested in October- November 2015 and kept in a refrigerator in order to measure some of their physical properties in fresh fruits (berry dimension, 100-berry weight, juice content and color indices). For other properties, fruits were dried at room temperature. Fruit cluster length was measured by means of a ruler, the number of berries/cluster and the number of set/aborted seeds in berry by counting, berry dimensions by a digital caliper, weight of fresh and dried 100-berry, percentage of pulp and seed as well as fruit juice content by a scale with 0.001 accuracy. Moisture content was determined using an oven with 75 ºC temperature for 48 hours. Color indices, including L*, a* and b*, were measured using a portable colorimeter (Konica Minolta Chroma Meters CR-410). This study was performed using a completely randomized design with three replications. Data were analyzed by Minitab software version 16 using analysis of variance (ANOVA), and differences among means were determined for significance at p

Spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii; SWD) is an invasive pest in the United States that is responsible for significant economic damage to soft-skinned fruit and berries worldwide. SWD uses a wide variety of cultivated and wild fruit for reproduction. Host suitability may depend on physical and chemical factors of the fruit, with a positive correlation of SWD oviposition and larval development generally associated with soluble sugar content, softer fruit, and higher pH, and a negative correlation of oviposition with fruit firmness. Variety selection is an important tool for integrated pest management, but few studies have reported host suitability across varieties within a single cultivated crop species for SWD. In this study, we investigated SWD oviposition and larval development in five half-high blueberry cultivars, Chippewa, Northblue, Northland, Patriot, and Polaris, using no-choice and two-choice laboratory bioassays. Using a host potential index, our results showed that Chippewa was the most preferred cultivar for oviposition as measured in the number of eggs laid per fruit, and Polaris was the least preferred. The inverse was true for larval development, with a higher survival rate and adult emergence in 'Polaris' than in 'Chippewa'. There was a negative relationship between fruit firmness and oviposition and a positive correlation between pH and larval development. The results of this study indicate that cultivar selection for half-high blueberries may be a promising integrated pest management (IPM) tool, although further research under field conditions is needed for validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) are among eastern Canada's most economically important crops. Despite this, the industry faces significant labor shortages required to harvest the over 69 000 ha of wild blueberry land each year. Automation of the wild blueberry is among the leading areas of wild blueberry research. The requirement to automate several different aspects of the harvester means that at present an operator is still required in the tractor. To determine the impacts that automation features have on an operator, and to assess the potential to replace skilled operators with unskilled ones, heart and respiration rates were monitored across various automatic, semiautomatic and manual harvesting conditions. Across both years of the study, the skilled operator experienced a 13.83% decrease in average heart rate under the fully automated condition versus the fully manual condition. Similarly, the new operator experienced a 19.03% decrease in average heart rate for the same scenario. While a conclusive determination cannot be made due to the significant interaction effect, it was likewise interesting to note that the skilled operator seemed to benefit more from the automated head adjustment while the new operator seemed to benefit more from the autosteer. Respiration rate data did not yield a conclusive trend, though the highest respiration rates were seen under the fully manual harvesting condition in all but the 2022 new operator data. In all, this study lays significant groundwork in the justification of automation for addressing the skilled labor shortage and for the eventual full automation of the wild blueberry harvester.

In vitro propagation, also known as micropropagation, has become the most widely employed method for blackberry propagation, as it overcomes the limitations of the traditional asexual propagation methods (mainly layering and cutting). In this context, synthetic seed technology represents a strategy to enhance the productivity of in vitro propagation and facilitates the exchange of plant materials between laboratories, contributing to germplasm conservation. This study aimed to identify the most suitable vegetative propagule for the encapsulation of blackberry. To this end, uninodal microcuttings (nodes) and the base of clumps were used to produce synthetic seeds for the cultivars Thornfree and Chester. Forty-five days after sowing, viability (percentage of green propagules without browning or necrosis), regeneration (percentage of propagules that sprouted and rooted simultaneously), number of shoots produced, shoot length, number of roots produced, root length, and the fresh and dry weights of the plantlets were measured. The results demonstrated that both considered propagules allowed us to obtain satisfactory regeneration rates. However, plantlets originating from the encapsulated clump’s base had more shoots and roots, resulting in greater fresh and dry weights than the plantlets derived from encapsulated nodes. Therefore, for achieving more robust plantlets and enhancing overall procedural efficiency, we recommend using the base of clumps as a propagule for blackberry encapsulation.

The article informs about different forms of Fragaria chiloensis cultivated by native individuals in South America also known as White-fruited strawberries. Topics include Newer cultivars with fruit sizes similar to that of red strawberries that have recently emerged as high-value products in Asia; and existing pineberry cultivars are not suitable for commercial production in Florida.

Berry crops are increasingly being harvested mechanically to reduce labor costs, but there is a lack of research on best practices for cleaning and sanitizing of mechanical harvesters to maintain proper food hygiene. Laboratory experiments were conducted with surface coupons cut from materials commonly used on blueberry harvesters, including polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, aluminum, extruded polycarbonate, acetal plastic, and stainless steel. Surfaces differed in their hydrophobicity and surface roughness, ranging from 0.04 µm for polycarbonate to 1.57 µm for acetal plastic. The relative cleanability of the surface coupons was assessed by determining the removal of an applied mock soil (dried blueberry puree) in a rinsing-shaking assay with distilled water at room temperature. Results showed that the amount of soil removed increased over time according to a negative exponential function, from 29.6% at 30 s to 40.3% at 240 s rinse time. Compared with the time effect, the differences in soil removal among surfaces were relatively small. The addition of cleaning agents and detergents did not improve soil removal, and the only treatment that removed significantly more soil than the water control was heated (50 °C) distilled water. In sanitization assays, three representative microorganisms were allowed to attach to surface coupons, then exposed to three different sanitizers (0.25% bleach with 200 ppm free-chlorine sodium hypochlorite, 0.30% SaniDate 5.0, or 1.0% No-Rinse Food Contact Cleaner Sanitizer). There was no significant surface effect on microbial reductions following sanitizer treatment. For Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, none of the sanitizers significantly reduced population densities below the water control. In contrast, surface populations of Rhodoturula mucilaginosa and Epicoccum nigrum were reduced significantly by all three sanitizers, with SaniDate (23.0% hydrogen peroxide + 5.3% peroxyacetic acid) resulting in the greatest reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many specialty crop growers are transitioning high-value crops from in-ground production to soilless culture due to the diminishing availability of fumigants, increasing pest pressure, extreme weather, and the need for flexible production practices. The objective of this study was to determine the research and educational needs of specialty crop growers who are transitioning to soilless substrates. North American growers were surveyed using an online instrument that incorporated Likert-type statement matrices, open-ended questions, and demographic questions. Additionally, two virtually led focus groups were conducted to further expand upon the quantitative findings with descriptive data. Respondents indicated the most important factors in considering whether to adopt soilless substrates were improving, managing, and reducing overall plant quality, disease management, and crop loss, respectively. The most important research needs were understanding the effects of substrates on crop quality and uniformity, fertilizer management, and economic costs and benefits/return on investment. In both the grower survey and focus groups, crop quality and uniformity were among the highest-scored responses. Food safety, disease and pest management, consumer perception, substrate disposal-related issues, transportation, and return-on-investment were also identified as important factors when considering soilless substrates.

Abstract The cultivation of blackberry trees has been increasing in Brazil, making it necessary to establish management and crop treatments in order to enhance its production. The aim of this study is to evaluate the production and quality of blackberry fruits cv. ‘Tupy’ regarding pruning seasons and trellis systems in the Southwest region of Mato Grosso do Sul. The experiment was developed with evaluations in two production cycles (2013 and 2014). Three trellis systems were studied: C1 – Double-wire trellis, C2 – single-wire trellis, and C3 – ‘T’ trellis; and the following three winter pruning times in both production cycles: P1: 07/12; P2: 07/27; and P3: 08/11. Production performances were similar within each year. In 2013, the harvest period ranged from 10/22/2013 to 01/07/2014, while in 2014 the period ranged from 09/24/2014 to 12/12/2014. In 2014, the highest fruit production per plant occurred when P3 was performed. Cultivation using the Double-wire trellis system (C1) produced 11,669.43 and 3,465.98 kg, while the single-wire trellis system (C2) produced 11,965.53 and 3,373.87 kg in 2013 and 2014, respectively. The highest pH of fruits was observed when pruning was conducted in P1 using the ‘T’ trellis system. Double-wire trellis contributes in higher results of production blackberry in the Southwest region of Mato Grosso do Sul.

Late-season bunch rot can cause substantial yield loss in grapevines grown in humid regions. Fruit-zone leaf removal has been widely used to reduce bunch rot and pesticide applications through improvements in canopy microclimate and grape cluster morphology. In this study, we evaluated whether mechanical leaf removal can be a valid alternative to a labor-intensive manual application by comparing prebloom manual (PB-MA) and mechanical (PB-ME) leaf removal. We also evaluated the effects of the timing of mechanical application, prebloom (PB-ME) versus fruit set (FS-ME), on fruit traits and bunch rot, caused by Botrytis cinerea . Our trials were conducted on two Vitis vinifera 'Pinot noir' and 'Pinot gris' vineyards in the Northeastern United States over two seasons (2017 to 2018). Major findings were overall consistent between cultivars and years. Leaf removal provided reductions in fruit-zone canopy density regardless of method or timing. In general, PB-ME provided similar shifts in cluster morphological traits to PB-MA, including lower number of berries per cluster, cluster compactness, and cluster weight compared with control (no leaf removal) vines. At harvest, both prebloom leaf removal methods equally reduced Botrytis bunch rot severity, whereas Botrytis bunch rot incidence in Pinot noir was lowest for PB-ME in 1 year and PB-MA in the next year. When comparing timing of mechanical leaf removal, FS-ME provided Botrytis bunch rot reductions similar to PB-ME, without effects on cluster weight. Thus, under our growing conditions, FS-ME was considered the best mechanical leaf removal option to help manage Botrytis bunch rot without causing undesirable yield reductions., Competing Interests: The author(s) declare no conflict of interest.

Berry crops are increasingly being harvested mechanically to reduce labor costs, but there is a lack of research on best practices for cleaning and sanitizing of mechanical harvesters to maintain proper food hygiene. Laboratory experiments were conducted with surface coupons cut from materials commonly used on blueberry harvesters, including polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, aluminum, extruded polycarbonate, acetal plastic, and stainless steel. Surfaces differed in their hydrophobicity and surface roughness, ranging from 0.04 µm for polycarbonate to 1.57 µm for acetal plastic. The relative cleanability of the surface coupons was assessed by determining the removal of an applied mock soil (dried blueberry puree) in a rinsing-shaking assay with distilled water at room temperature. Results showed that the amount of soil removed increased over time according to a negative exponential function, from 29.6% at 30 s to 40.3% at 240 s rinse time. Compared with the time effect, the differences in soil removal among surfaces were relatively small. The addition of cleaning agents and detergents did not improve soil removal, and the only treatment that removed significantly more soil than the water control was heated (50 °C) distilled water. In sanitization assays, three representative microorganisms were allowed to attach to surface coupons, then exposed to three different sanitizers (0.25% bleach with 200 ppm free-chlorine sodium hypochlorite, 0.30% SaniDate 5.0, or 1.0% No-Rinse Food Contact Cleaner Sanitizer). There was no significant surface effect on microbial reductions following sanitizer treatment. For Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, none of the sanitizers significantly reduced population densities below the water control. In contrast, surface populations of Rhodoturula mucilaginosa and Epicoccum nigrum were reduced significantly by all three sanitizers, with SaniDate (23.0% hydrogen peroxide + 5.3% peroxyacetic acid) resulting in the greatest reduction.

Machine harvesting blueberry (Vaccinium sp.) alleviates labor costs and shortages but can reduce fruit quality. Installation of softer catching surfaces inside modified over-the-row harvesters (modified OTR) and adjusting harvest intervals may improve fruit quality and packout. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of harvest interval on fruit quality of fresh market northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) harvested using a modified OTR. 'Liberty' blueberry bushes were harvested by hand or using a modified OTR at 3-, 10-, and 14-day intervals in 2019 and at 7-, 11-, and 14-day intervals in 2020. Hand-harvested 'Liberty' had greater packout and firmness than machine-harvested fruit. Machine harvesting at the 3-day interval in 2019, and the 14-day interval in 2020 reduced packout from 70-80% to 60% and 54%, respectively. In 2019, machine harvesting at a 3-day interval overall resulted in fruit with greater firmness, higher titratable acidity (TA), and lower total soluble solids (TSS) and SS/TA, compared to other harvest intervals. In 2020, the 7-day machine-harvest interval had a greater TA and lower TSS/TA, compared to the 11- and 14-day intervals. Overall, modified OTR machine-harvest intervals can be extended to 10-11 days for fresh market northern highbush cultivars such as 'Liberty' grown in northwest Washington. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Productivity in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) can be recorded by measuring marketable or total yield. The first objective of this review was to determine if marketable yield can be predicted from total yield. The second objective of this review was to develop protocols to accurately determine the productivity of strawberry cultivars. Previous research has not examined the relationship between the two measures of productivity and how to best measure the yield of strawberry cultivars. The relationship between marketable and total yield was assessed by examining the performance of strawberry cultivars across 68 studies. Marketable yield had a linear, but inconsistent relationship with total yield across different cultivars, sites and years. The slope from the regression between marketable and total yield ranged from 0.25 to 0.99, with a median of 0.80, and a mean (and SE) of 0.78 ± 0.01. Marketable yield cannot be predicted from total yield. The results of this review demonstrate that marketable yield is a better indicator of productivity than total yield. Both measures of productivity should be used in future cultivar studies. The results also demonstrate that cultivar experiments that include information on the incidence of fruit defects are better than ones that do not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) is a plant that presents fruits with high aggregate value and expressive levels of beneficial components to the human health. However, the lack of knowledge of the phenological phases limits the expansion of the crop under subtropical conditions, especially in open field production, despite being a typical tropical plant. This research aimed to evaluate the phenological stages related the growth and the production of cape gooseberry cultivated under subtropical environment in an open field production system. The phenological stages were determined by the evaluations from the plant's emerging date until it is senescence. The cape gooseberry cycle comprised 254 days with a total of 3,843.6 °C day. Cape gooseberry reached a maximum of 173 leaves, 193 cm height, and 1.16 cm stem diameter. The plastochron at the vegetative phase was 15.7 °C day node-1 and at the reproductive phase 20.6 °C day node-1. The fruit reached the harvest point with 3,045.3 °C day, corresponding to 179 days from the sowing or 100 days after transplantation, and the production period was extended for 60 days. Under the edaphoclimatic conditions (subtropical region), the production was 151.2 g per plant with estimated yield of 1,007.8 kg ha-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field study was conducted in a randomized complete block design over two growing seasons. The objective was to evaluate the effect of supplementary nutrients, in addition to standard fertigation practices, on fruit yield and quality for annual plasticulture strawberry production. First season treatments included i) a root applied secondary macro and micronutrient mix (0-0-0) + foliar applied nutrient (6-4-3) ii) foliar applied nutrient (6-4-3) and iii) nontreated control. Additional treatments in the second season included root applied micronutrient mix alone, and a foliar nutrient application of an OMRI certified cold-processed sweetener. Treatments were replicated four times using 'Chandler' strawberry. Plugs in the root applied treatment were lightly dusted with the nutrient powder just before transplanting. Foliar nutrient was first sprayed at 30% bloom and every 7 to 14 days as frequent harvesting began. There were no significant differences among treatments for yield, fruit size, firmness or total soluble solids content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Florida Brilliance" Strawberry. Fragaria ×ananassa, fruit breeding, small fruit. [Extracted from the article]

The dwarf vine and small fruit watermelon, referred to as ‘dsh’ in this study, is a natural mutant of the ordinary watermelon, ‘Hanxuan Lvyuan’. Morphological assessment indicated that its main vine length, internode length, and single-fruit weight were significantly lower than those of the ordinary watermelon (P 0.05), respectively. It was suggested that this dwarf and small fruit mutation was a single recessive gene trait that followed a Mendel's inheritance.

Due to concerns about frequent applications of spinosad and other broad spectrum insecticides for managing spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii Matsumura, SWD), we investigated the use of essential oils as an alternative to current insecticides. Essential oils from a number of plant species have been studied for their attraction and deterrence of SWD. However, these botanical products have not been thoroughly tested in the field. We conducted laboratory and field studies to determine the efficacy of botanical products, including lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) oil, catnip (Nepeta cataria L.) oil, KeyPlex Ecotrol® PLUS, and KeyPlex Sporan® EC2 on preventing SWD infestation in raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) and blueberry (Vacciniumcorymbosum L.) crops. In a two-choice laboratory bioassay, lavender oil, Ecotrol, and Sporan treatments deterred SWD from a yeast-cornmeal-sugar based fly diet. In the field trials, raspberry fruit treated with Ecotrol had lower SWD infestation (6%), compared to the control (17%), and was comparable to spinosad (6%). No differences were seen in blueberry infestation. The combination of essential oils in Ecotrol may work to decrease SWD fruit infestation under certain conditions in the field, however more research is needed on the longevity of these products.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and physicochemical characteristics of dovyalis fruit to obtain technological knowledge about this fruit when grown under the conditions found in the municipality of Marechal Cândido Rondon, Paraná State, Brazil. Dovyalis fruits from the State University of Western Parana, which was established in 2012, were harvested in March 2016. Dovyalis fruits were collected from several plants and were divided among three lots. After the harvest, were immediately taken to the Post-Harvest Laboratory for evaluation of the antioxidant activity by the DPPH, ABTS and FRAP methods. The physicochemical characteristics of the fruits and the total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, anthocyanins, respiration, and fruit color were evaluated. The experimental design was completely randomized, with the study containing three groups and three replicates per group. Dovyalis fruits present high antioxidant capacity and are characterized as acidic fruits, due to the high FRAP activity. Dovyalis fruits have a very attractive color and high acidity, which makes them appropriate for processing. Regarding the antioxidant activity present in the fruit, the most bioactive components are flavonoids and anthocyanins. High ascorbic acid content was observed in mature dovyalis fruits. Dovyalis fruits are considered climacteric.

The ability of species in the Botryosphaeriaceae to inhabit seemingly healthy plants, reside as endophytes yet result in serious disease under stressful environmental conditions is poorly understood, as is their ability to colonise many unrelated hosts often without causing disease. Although many species of Botryosphaeriaceae have a wide host range, there is dearth of information on pathogenic variation of isolates of the same species on different hosts. In this study we used 16 isolates belonging to two genera of Botryosphaeriaceae from seven host plant species, to test the hypothesis that there are significant differences in pathogenic variation, varietal preferences and cross-pathogenicity in Botryosphaeriaceae on two unrelated host crops (macadamia and blueberry). Using the detached leaf and stem inoculation assays, we observed significantly (P < 0.05) high levels of pathogenic variation among isolates of Neofusicoccum parvum and compared with three other Neofusicoccum spp. and the three Lasiodiplodia spp. Host specificity was not observed among the isolates, as all were pathogenic on both hosts, but the aggressiveness of the isolates varied on the hosts, regardless of the source of the isolates. Between the host plants, blueberry was significantly more susceptible, regardless of the isolates than macadamia. There were significant (P < 0.03) differences among the four macadamia cultivars, isolates and cultivar × isolate interaction. Similar results for pathogenicity, aggressiveness and pathogenic variations were obtained using both the detached leaf and stem inoculation assays. Implications of these findings for disease management in cropping systems are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Physalis peruviana L. is an exotic fruit that belongs to the Solanaceae family with recent production in Brazil. This is presented as an alternative production with nutritional potential and economic value. The cape gooseberry plant has a high added value that can be used from its root to the fruit itself. The roots and leaves are rich in medicinal properties that are used in pharmacology. The fruit is sweet and have good content of vitamins A, C, iron, phosphorus and fiber, often used in making jellies, jams, juices and ice creams. To improve the plant canopy, but also contribute to the quality and appearance of the fruit produced some cultural practices such as staking, training systems, pruning and thinning are used. The aim of this review is to provide technical and scientific data about the culture of physalis.

In this paper, the effect of the packaging material and storage method on red raspberries produced at Reggio Calabria (Italy) was studied. For this purpose, the fruits were stored immediately after harvest in different conditions: in the fridge at 1 °C and in the freezer at −20 °C, using different packaging materials, two new patented films (nanoactive A) and (nanoactive B), one common packaging film (polyethylene terephthalate), and other fruits were left without any packaging material. Chemical parameters were analysed at harvest to have the initial characteristics without any conditioned storage and to distinguish the post-harvest effect on the fruits, then daily for storage in the fridge and monthly for storage in the freezer. The aims of our project were first to determine the qualitative characterization of these red raspberries, the optimization of their shelf-life during time in the fridge or freezer, using the different types of packaging materials and finally to highlight the usefulness of the new patented packaging materials. Nanoactive A film showed the best shelf-life in the fridge, and after 14 days the values, given as mg/100 g fresh weight, were: total phenolics (166.70), monomeric anthocyanin content (50.82), flavonoids (24.64), ascorbic acid (32.42), and 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay (95.93).

Haskap (Lonicera caerulea L.) is a new northern latitude fruit crop that is increasing in popularity. This sudden enthusiasm for haskap increases the need for obtaining baseline knowledge related to establishing it as a crop, such as its optimal soil pH and fertilizer needs. In a greenhouse, one-year-old haskap plants (cultivar: Indigo Treat©) were grown in a local loamy sand. We assessed the impact of pH and fertilizer on haskap vegetative growth through an experiment involving four soil pH and five fertilization treatments of three N sources (ammonium, nitrate, and organic (chicken manure)). Leaf senescence as well as above-ground and root biomass were recorded after 19 weeks of vegetative growth. For cultivar Indigo Treat©, optimal vegetative growth was observed under slightly acidic soil conditions (pHCaCl2 5.5–6 or pHwater 5.9–6.5) without application of N. Phosphorus and K fertilizers did not influence vegetative growth. We here discuss the implications for establishing haskap orchards.

The article focuses on the Florida Beauty strawberry, a variety from the collaborative breeding effort between the University of Florida and the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. Topics discussed include the variety's origin which came from a 2012 cross made by the breeding program between the university and the department, its description, and yield performance.

Spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii Matsumura, is a major pest of small fruit worldwide in temperate and subtropical growing regions. In Northern climates, D. suzukii likely overwinters locally under leaf litter and snow pack, but our understanding of the factors affecting thermal susceptibility is limited. While previous investigations of thermal susceptibility in this species have employed conventional static acclimation protocols, we aimed to determine whether gradual cooling, or dynamic acclimation, may extend the limits of known thermal tolerance by more closely approximating naturally occurring shifts in temperature. First, we assessed survival among adult and pupal D. suzukii using static acclimation. Then, we re-assessed survival using a novel dynamic acclimation method. We found that while static acclimation was sufficient to induce cold tolerance, dynamic acclimation significantly improved survival at temperatures as low as −7.5 °C. Following static acclimation, the lower lethal limit of adult D. suzukii was −1.1 °C in winter morphotype (WM) adults compared to 1.7 °C in non-acclimated summer morphotype (SM) adults. Dynamic acclimation reduced the lower limit to −5 °C in SM flies. At the end of our study 50% of WM flies survived 72 h at −7.5 °C. Below 0 °C pupal survival declined significantly regardless of acclimation procedure. However, pupal acclimation improved survival outcomes significantly compared to non-acclimated pupae, suggesting that while juvenile diapause is unlikely, cold hardening likely benefits those flies which may develop into the overwintering WM population. These data suggest that the degree of cold hardening is proportional to the thermal environment, a finding previously unrecognized in this species. Given the economic impact of this pest, these data may have important implications for offseason population monitoring and management. We discuss how phenotypic plasticity may drive geographical range expansion, and the impact of climate change on the spread of this species.