Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus cv. J33) is an emerging export fruit valued for its flavor, nutrition, and market potential. However, prolonged cold storage often causes rind browning, leading to quality deterioration and postharvest losses. While previous postharvest studies have primarily focused on flesh deterioration, the enzymatic and non-enzymatic biochemical mechanisms driving cold-induced browning in jackfruit rind during export have not been comprehensively elucidated. This is the first study that provides evidence linking PPO-driven phenolic degradation with oxidative stress dynamics in jackfruit rind during cold storage. Cold storage at 12 ± 1°C for four weeks triggered oxidative stress in the jackfruit rind, leading to a 97% reduction in total phenolic content and a sharp decline in antioxidant capacity. Among five phenolics, quinic acid, chlorogenic acid, and catechin peaked after one week before decreasing, whereas L-phenylalanine and shikimic acid accumulated progressively. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity increased by 48% over four weeks, coinciding with marked reductions in superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase. Concurrently, malondialdehyde levels rose and hydrogen peroxide fluctuated, confirming oxidative imbalance, with week 2 of cold storage identified as the critical threshold where antioxidant defenses collapsed, leading to PPO-mediated phenolic oxidation and accelerated rind browning. By utilizing multiple linear regression and multivariate analysis to simultaneously track these markers, this study establishes a comprehensive model (R2 = 0.997) proving that rind browning is primarily driven by PPO-mediated oxidation (p < .0001) under declining antioxidant defenses (e.g. APX, r = -0.690). The findings clarify the biochemical basis of rind browning that provide potential intervention strategies for horticulture and export industry to develop targeted postharvest treatments by preserving non-enzymatic antioxidants, specifically TPC and TFC to mitigate commercial postharvest losses,
Thyrostroma parviniae has recently been identified as a dieback and bud-necrosis pathogen of fig trees in Iran. The resulting wood diseases pose a substantial challenge, given the current lack of effective and affordable treatment options. This study evaluates fig cultivar susceptibility to T. parviniae (ex-holotype isolate S83-47; CBS 154727), previously identified as the most aggressive isolate, and assesses its temperature-dependent pathogenicity across multiple economically important fruit and ornamental species present in affected areas. Pathogenicity assays using wounded-stem and cut-stem inoculation methods on young saplings in greenhouse conditions revealed pronounced cultivar-specific responses: the wild genotype ‘Gilasi‘ and the commercially important dried-fruit cultivars ‘Payves‘ and ‘Sabz‘ were highly susceptible, whereas the fresh-fruit cultivar ‘Matti‘ exhibited markedly reduced lesion development. Strong correlations among internal lesion traits indicated that rapid vascular colonization is a key determinant of disease severity. Potential host-range experiments under controlled conditions further demonstrated that T. parviniae can infect detached shoots of diverse woody species, including almond, apricot, elm, pomegranate, red mulberry, and walnut, with the most severe symptoms occurring at 25°C compared to 15 and 20°C, suggesting enhanced aggressiveness under warmer conditions. Apple and quince remained asymptomatic, while pistachio displayed temperature-dependent susceptibility. Multivariate analyses indicated that disease severity in fig, pomegranate, and walnut increases substantially at elevated temperatures in this experimental system, pointing to a possible capacity for the pathogen to expand under ongoing climate warming. These findings identify vulnerable fig cultivars, reveal a broader potential host range than previously recognized, and underscore the need for proactive management strategies. Based on this controlled experimental evidence, the results offer a preliminary basis for breeding programs, orchard design, and regional disease-risk forecasting aimed at mitigating the impact of this emerging pathogen in warm and warming agroecosystems.
This study establishes a phenological framework for classifying the fruiting stages of Actinidia arguta based on tree age and rhizosphere soil dynamics. The objectives are twofold: to optimize cultivation management strategies to promote early fruiting, and ultimately increase the yield of A. arguta. Soil samples from trees aged 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8 years were collected. Soil pH, EC, MC, MBC, nutrient levels, and enzyme activity were measured. The data were analyzed using multiple comparison methods and principal component analysis . Soil MC peaked at 6 years (6a), showing significant differences from other tree ages. The rhizosphere soil of A.arguta shows significant changes in pH and EC from years 5 to 6, with both parameters peaking in year 8. MBC decreases by 35% from year 3 to year 5, then increases by 13% in year 6 compared to year 5. URE activity increases by 5% from year 5 to year 6. The fruit-bearing phase of A. arguta shows significant correlations with soil pH, EC, MBC, URE activity, TP, AK, and AN. Based on these analyses, the fruiting stages of A. arguta are initially classified as early fruiting (years 2–3), early high-yield (year 5), high-yield (year 6), and peak yield (year 8). Supplementing phosphorus, enhancing microbial biomass with microbial fertilizers, maintaining a mildly acidic soil pH, and reducing soil conductivity can promote an earlier transition to the high-yield phase for A. arguta.
To achieve precise detection of lemon maturity and quality in complex field environments, this study proposes a high-accuracy model for lemon maturity and quality detection in such environments (YOLOv8-CGD). In order to improve the model’s accuracy in capturing lemon images in complex environments, the ConvNeXt V2 module is introduced into the backbone network. Subsequently, the Gather-Excite attention mechanism is introduced to utilize spatial context information, further enhancing the model’s ability to capture key features. The DIoU loss function is used instead of the CIoU loss function to improve the model’s detection accuracy and positioning stability for overlapping and small targets in complex environments. The results show that the YOLOv8-CGD model achieves an accuracy of 94.4%, a recall rate of 92.8%, mAP50 and F1 scores of 97.2% and 93.6%, respectively, representing improvements of 4.9%, 4.3%, 3.2%, and 4.6% compared to YOLOv8. Ablation experiments further validate the effectiveness of the improved model, and heatmap analysis also demonstrates that the YOLOv8-CGD model captures features more precisely. Comparison results between the YOLOv8-CGD model and other mainstream models such as YOLOv11s, YOLOv10s, YOLOv7-tiny, and YOLOv5n show that the YOLOv8-CGD model is superior in accuracy, mAP50, and F1 score, demonstrating excellent overall performance. A frame rate of 237.3 FPS also meets the real-time monitoring requirements. This study provides an efficient and reliable method for lemon maturity and quality detection, offering technical support for high-precision automated harvesting in robotic pickers.
This study investigates the morphological variation of nine olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivars grown under a single ecological condition. The primary objective was to evaluate phenotypic variability using multivariate analyses and to identify key traits contributing to cultivar discrimination and selection. A total of thirty-two quantitative and qualitative characteristics were assessed over two consecutive years. The results revealed substantial phenotypic variation among cultivars, with fruit nipple shape exhibiting the highest coefficient of variation. Tukey’s multiple comparison tests indicated significant differences among cultivars, with fruit weight ranging from 0.64 (“Mission”) to 3.45 g (“Zard”). Frequency distribution analysis showed that ripening date was earliest in “Mari” and latest in “Koroneiki,” “Manza,” “Mission,” and “Roghani,” while high fruit density was observed in “Dezfooli,” “Golooleh,” “Koroneiki,” “Mari,” and “Mission.” Correlation analysis revealed a strong positive relationship between fruit flesh percentage and fruit flesh thickness. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that fruit weight was positively associated with fruit flesh weight and stone weight. The first three principal components explained 74.14% of total variation, indicating that fruit size and stone-related traits accounted for most morphological variation. The PCA biplot positioned “Mission,” “Manza,” “Mari,” and “Koroneiki” outside the 95% confidence ellipse, indicating distinct morphological profiles. Overall, fruit weight, flesh thickness, and stone-related traits were identified as key parameters for effective cultivar discrimination. The findings provide valuable insights for olive breeding programs and the conservation of olive genetic resources.
Cashew apple fruits play a vital role in the coastal economies of regions such as Goa, India, where they are cultivated widely for fresh fruit consumption and juice production. This fruit is shipped worldwide, and its market value is closely tied to its quality, which is affected by its stage of ripeness. This paper introduces an automated system for grading the maturity of cashew apples using deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Several pretrained models – AlexNet, ResNet-50, MobileNetV2, VGG19, and custom-designed CNN—were employed to classify cashew apples into three categories: overripe, ripe, and unripe. A dataset comprising images from two different farms in Goa, India, was pre-processed, and later augmented to improve training and validation. The custom CNN achieved the highest classification accuracy of 78% with superior F1-score (0.83) for overripe and unripe grades. It comprises model parameters (17.2 M), model size of 68.8 MB, and real-time inference (191 FPS, 5.24 ms). MobileNetV2, however, achieved superior performance for the ripe grade, with an F1-score (0.71) and remained the most lightweight architecture. The result was further validated using a 5-fold cross-validation and integrated gradients which confirmed reliable feature attribution. This study offers a promising foundation for automated cashew apple grading and future drone-based deployment.
Cold storage of “Rojo Brillante” persimmon requires a postharvest 1-MCP treatment to mitigate chilling injury, which manifests as marked firmness loss when the fruit is transferred to shelf-life conditions. Recently, preharvest 1-MCP application (Harvista®, HV) has proven effective in various crops but remains underexplored in persimmon. This work investigates the effect of HV application at different preharvest moments on fruit quality preservation during cold storage, compared to the conventional postharvest treatment under two commercial orchards. Preharvest 1-MCP treatment effectively mitigated chilling injury – associated softening after 40 storage days followed by shelf-life, retaining significantly higher firmness (>40 N) than control fruit (<8 N). HV treatment applied 3 days before harvest (HV3) resulted in higher firmness retention than when applied 7 days before harvest (HV7). The double application 7 and 3 days before harvest (HV7 + 3) did not provide additional effects. Combining pre- and postharvest 1-MCP offered no further benefit. The HV3 treatment showed significantly higher effect than the postharvest 1-MCP (SF) application, supporting the use of preharvest 1-MCP as a potential alternative to the conventional postharvest treatment in “Rojo Brillante” persimmon. The reduced softening induced by HV treatment was accompanied by lower relative expression of DkERF-18, DkERF-8, and DkERF-16, genes reported to be involved in ethylene biosynthesis and fruit quality traits. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing “Rojo Brillante” persimmon postharvest management through the application of preharvest 1-MCP.
This study evaluated volatile components from “Kongxin” plum fruits (Prunus salicina) at different storage temperatures and durations using headspace solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). The 710 screened volatile components were categorized into 16 groups. At cold temperature for 30 days, volatile components were significantly higher than at 0 days, room temperature for 30 days, cold temperature for 60 days. The major differential volatile components were esters and alcohols, including 3-hexenylacetate, benzeneacetic acid, 3-phenyl-2-propenoic acid, ethyl butyrate, butyl acetate, and dicyclopentadiene. Among nine significantly enriched metabolic pathways, alpha-linolenic acid metabolism, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and phenylalanine metabolism were the key pathways associated with flavor changes of plum fruit during storage. The compounds 3-hexenylacetate, benzeneacetic acid, and 3-phenyl-2-propenoic acid were significantly up- or down-regulated in the key metabolic pathways. It is concluded that cold temperatures for 30 days are beneficial for maintaining the volatile compounds in plum fruits and provide research ideas for improving the flavor and quality of plum fruit.
Ozone is a self-decomposing gas with disinfecting capabilities that presents challenges in maintaining and controlling specific concentrations. It is typically generated on-site through corona discharge technology. This study investigated the effect of low gaseous ozone (O3) concentrations (0.5 and 1.0 ppm) on the postharvest quality and shelf life of peaches during cold storage. Two commercial peach cultivars, ‘O’Henry’ and ‘August Lady,’ were stored under controlled conditions of 1.1°C (34 °F) with 90–95% relative humidity and exposed to continuous gaseous O3 treatments throughout the 28-d cold storage period using a timer-controlled delivery system, with untreated fruit serving as the control (CS). Quality parameters, including firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), TSS/TA ratio, respiration rate (RR), decay rate, weight loss, visual appearance, and skin color, were assessed after 7, 14, 21, and 28 days of storage. Results indicated that exposure to 1 ppm concentration of gaseous O3 was not effective in extending shelf life or preserving fruit quality. Instead, 1 ppm O3 treatment resulted in skin pitting after 14 d of storage for both cultivars. Although fruit treated with 1 ppm O3 exhibited lower weight loss than the control after 28 d, this benefit did not offset the negative effects on external quality. Both 0.5 and 1 ppm O3 did not significantly affect decay rate compared to CS throughout the storage period and maintained decay levels between 0 and 7.1% through the 28 d of cold storage. Also, the lower exposure level of 0.5 ppm lacked pitting incidence symptoms and overall preserved a visual appearance comparable to CS. These findings highlight the limited tolerance of the evaluated peach cultivars to gaseous O3 concentrations above 0.5 ppm under the tested storage conditions, which increased susceptibility to storage-induced disorders.
Mal d 1, the major apple allergen, is well characterized at the genomic and proteomic levels; however, limited information is available regarding the natural variability of its gene expression. This study characterizes the expression variability of 16 MdPR10 gene isoforms in the fruit flesh of 61 Malus domestica Borkh. cultivars classified into four color groups - red-skinned, yellow-skinned, green-red skinned and yellow-red skinned apples. The Mal d 1.03 isoform exhibited the most consistent expression levels (predominantly isotypes 1.03D/E/F/G), whereas Mal d 1.02 and Mal d 1.08 showed the lowest variability. Regarding intra-cultivar variability of expression levels, the highest variabilities were recorded for Mal d 1.11B, ranging from 0.11 (Delore) to 31.26 (Melrose) relative to the reference variety Santana. When comparing expression levels according to fruit color, higher expression of Mal d 1 is apple varieties from a red base skin color when compared to yellow base skin color.
Limited information is available on cranberry crop load management. Earlier research has primarily examined flower thinning in cranberry, while the impact of fruit thinning has not yet been investigated. This study evaluated the effects of fruit thinning during early fruit development on fruit quality, return bloom, and chlorophyll fluorescence in two cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) cultivars, “Pilgrim” and “Stevens.” Treatments included: (0F) removing all fruits on the upright, (1F) removing all but the lowermost fruit, (2F) removing all but the two lowermost fruits, and (C) no fruit removal (control). The majority of the non-treated uprights produced two fruits in “Pilgrim” and three fruits in “Stevens.” In “Pilgrim,” 1F resulted in heavier fruit with higher anthocyanin concentration but lower concentrations of total soluble solids (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA). In “Stevens” 1F and 2F resulted in heavier fruit but had little effect on TSS and TA, while 1F decreased fruit anthocyanin. The effects on fruit surface color were negligible. In both cultivars, return bloom was enhanced by removing all fruit on the upright indicating a strong biennial bearing tendency of individual uprights. Fruit production strongly suppressed vegetative growth of uprights in the following year, especially in “Pilgrim.” Chlorophyll fluorescence kinetic parameters decreased in 0F, indicating lower photosynthetic efficiency in the absence of fruit. The results suggest that fruit thinning is an effective approach for increasing the individual fruit weight of cranberry crop and that cranberry fruit are strong sinks that effectively suppress generative and vegetative growth of the uprights in the subsequent year.
Bael (Aegle marmelos Correa) has been known since prehistoric times and finds mention as one of the underutilized fruits. This study examines the morphological and chemical quality variations of bael (Aegle marme los Correa) genotypes cultivated under rainfed, semi-arid conditions in Gujarat, India. The present study was carried out to assess the variability, character association, and principal component analysis in diverse genotypes of bael. Significant variation was observed across traits such as growth habit, foliage density, bark color, and fruit characteristics, suggesting potential for developing high-yielding cultivars. Significant phenotypic variation was established by statistical analysis, which is helpful for breeding initiatives to increase the production and adaptability of bael. High phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation were recorded for major yield and quality-related traits indicating variability, while broad-sense heritability estimates suggested strong genetic control, particularly for traits with high genetic advance. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the first five principal components explained the maximum variation in both growth and yield traits (84.4%) and quality traits (84.69%) which highlighted the importance of these components in cultivar differentiation. Traits such as fruit weight, pulp weight, number of fruits per plant, and total sugar were the major key traits contributing to the total variability. Overall, the significant morphological and phenotypic variation among bael genotypes offered valuable resources for breeding high-yielding bael cultivars, thereby enhancing the adaptability and productivity in arid and semi-arid tropics.
Ever-bearing strawberries (Fragaria & times; ananassa Duch.) produce fruit year-round, unlike June-bearing cultivars that primarily fruit in winter and spring. In South Korea, ever-bearing cultivars are increasingly used for high-altitude summer cultivation, with transplantation in March/April and harvest from June to November. In this study, we investigated the effects of harvest time on growth, yield, fruit quality, and antioxidant properties of three ever-bearing cultivars grown in high-altitude regions during summer (July to October). In July, vigorous vegetative growth was observed, with the highest marketable fruit rate (80.5%) and average fruit weight (11.9 g). The greatest number of marketable fruits (9.6 fruits/plant) and highest total marketable yield (7,369 kg & centerdot;10a-1) were noted in August. The productivity declined in September, whereas functional components such as titratable acidity, total anthocyanin content, and radical scavenging activity reached their maximum levels. By October, fruit quality parameters improved significantly: total soluble solids increased to 10.8 degrees Brix, whereas firmness and sugar-to-acid ratio reached their peak values. Conversely, plant height (28.5 cm) and leaf length (7.4 cm) decreased due to the onset of dormancy. These findings provide a foundation for developing climate-resilient cultivation systems that ensure stable, high-value strawberry production in response to increasing environmental variability.
Wood apple (Feronia limonia (L.) Swingle) is fast-growing and salt-tolerant. This plant can thrive in degraded soil conditions and is drought-resilient. Wood apple fruits are known for their nutritional and medicinal properties. However, being an underutilized fruit crop, there is a lack of information on plant genetic resources and crop improvement with an aim to identify promising wood apple genotypes with the potential for commercial cultivation and as parents in genetic improvement program. Therefore, this study investigates the phenotypic diversity of 62 wood apple genotypes, examining key traits, such as tree height, stem diameter (SD), leaf characteristics, fruit physico-chemical attributes, and mineral content. The mean tree height across all genotypes was 7.38 m, with substantial variation observed, ranging from 5.47 m (WAS-47) to 9.47 m (WAS-62) (F = 43.11, p < .0001). Similarly, significant variation was recorded in SD (F = 1141.70, p < .0001), leaf size, and plant spread. The mean fruit weight was 256.35 g, with genotypes like WAS-4, WAS-6, and WAS-44 showing the highest fruit weights, suggesting strong potential for yield improvement (F = 260.16, p < .0001). Significant phenotypic variation in pulp weight, juice content, and mineral composition was noted, with WAS-6 and WAS-2 demonstrating the highest pulp percentages and juice content. Further analysis revealed considerable differences in TSS (mean = 22.61 degrees Brix), acidity (mean = 4.11%), ascorbic acid (mean = 25.49 mg/100 g), and minerals like potassium, calcium, and iron, indicating variability for targeted selection in breeding programs. Positive correlations between fruit dimensions and yield components were observed, while negative correlations highlighted trade-offs in quality traits. Principal component analysis, clustering, and network analysis confirmed the existence of five distinct genotypic groups. High-performing genotypes like WAS-4 and WAS-6 showed promise for breeding programs to improve productivity, nutritional quality, and genetic resilience. The study highlights significant genetic diversity in wood apple genotypes, indicating strong potential for selection and breeding to enhance fruit yield, quality, and nutritional content. This study provides a foundation for breeding wood apple cultivars with improved traits for future use, aiding in agricultural productivity and consumer market appeal.
Guava (Psidium guajava L.) improvement is constrained by a limited understanding of genetic variability and heterosis for nutritionally important traits, particularly under semi-arid tropical conditions. This study aimed to assess genetic variability, heterosis, and trait relationships for yield and key phytochemical and mineral attributes in guava. A total of 10 parental genotypes, 20 hybrid accessions, and two standard checks were evaluated under semi-arid conditions of western India. Substantial variability was observed across morphological, biochemical, and mineral traits, with fruit weight ranging from 100.38 to 523.19 g and ascorbic acid content from 103.70 to 300.87 mg/100 g. High genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation, along with high heritability and genetic advance, indicated strong genetic control and predominance of additive gene effects for most traits. Notably, traits such as lycopene, magnesium, and fruit weight exhibited high variability and improvement potential. Heterosis analysis identified superior hybrid combinations, particularly VL & times; SP (H-2/20) for fruit weight and G-15 & times; VL (H-1) for ascorbic acid content, demonstrating the effectiveness of hybridization for enhancing both yield and nutritional quality. Multivariate analysis further revealed that yield and nutraceutical traits jointly contributed to major variation, indicating the possibility of simultaneous improvement. A Bayesian regression approach provided preliminary evidence of a positive but uncertain association between productive efficiency and total soluble solids, highlighting the need for larger datasets. The study demonstrates that heterosis can be effectively exploited to improve both productivity and nutraceutical quality in guava, providing a strong basis for the development of superior cultivars adapted to semi-arid environments.
Accurate methods are needed to find fruit maturity stages, preserve quality, and prolong postharvest shelf life. Metabolomics helps analyze postharvest fruit development. Essential clues are also provided to analyze biomarkers in enhancing postharvest fruit technology by observing significant changes. Therefore, this analysis conducts a sequence-based metabolome analysis of high-quality fruit Tongar avocado, produced in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It was carried out on samples collected at 180, 210, and 240 days after flowering using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). The results indicate that LC-HRMS identified 31 metabolites, including fatty alcohols, furan derivatives, phenolics, and fatty acids (FAs). Furthermore, the identified metabolites were most abundant at the 180-day harvest time. Avocadene and AcO d-avocadyne were suspected as potential marker metabolites, differentiating the three different harvesting times. A PLSR (partial least square regression) model was improved according to the 31 metabolites and physicochemical parameter correlation, including ethylene production (EP) and TSS (total soluble solids). The identified metabolites can help to predict EP and TSS. These results provided a thorough understanding of changes in metabolite profiling and reported the ability to predict the Tongar avocado maturity.
Figs (Ficus carica L.) are highly nutritious fruits that offer considerable health benefits. Managing them after harvest can be challenging due to their highly perishable nature. This study investigated the impact of pretreatment of fresh figs cv. "Tangier" with dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (DBD-ACP) for 2 and 5 min and storage duration for 21 days at 5 degrees C on weight loss, firmness, color attributes, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acid (TA), total phenolic content (TPC) and microbial contamination. Plasma treatments (both T1 and T2) on figs exhibited lower mass loss (5.0%), compared to control (8.38%), and T2 better retained fruit firmness (4.8 N) compared to untreated controls (2.5 N) at the end of storage duration. Treated figs showed better-retained values of TSS and TA during storage, when compared to untreated figs, which showed a decline in TA levels from 0.53% to 0.35% on the last day of storage (p <= .05). Figs treated for 5 min exhibited the highest TPC levels, followed by the ones treated for 2 min, when compared to the control at the end of day 21 (p <= .05). DBD-ACP pretreatment had no adverse impact on measured color parameters (p > .05). DBD-ACP pretreatments (T1 and T2) resulted in lowest aerobic mesophilic bacteria load (approximate to 2.99 Log CFU/g) at the end of day 21, compared to control (approximate to 5.86 Log), at 5 degrees C (p < .05). Overall DBD-ACP treatment is a promising technology for decontamination and quality preservation of fresh figs.
Cryopreservation has seen limited application in Pyrus communis germplasm due to low post-thaw regeneration rates and strong genotype-dependence. This study aimed to establish a standardized cryopreservation platform encompassing post-thaw regeneration, in vitro rooting, and greenhouse acclimatization, which is applicable across genetically diverse European pear accessions. We implemented optimized cryopreservation and in vitro rooting protocols developed in our laboratory on 11 P. communis accessions with varied genetic backgrounds. All accessions exceeded the Food and Agriculture Organization/International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (FAO/IPGRI) minimum viability threshold of 40%, achieving an average regeneration rate of 75.4%. Most accessions exhibited high in vitro rooting efficiency (>= 79.2%), except for one accession (53.3%). Genetic stability was evaluated using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers, with no detectable polymorphisms observed between cryopreserved and non-cryopreserved plants. Phenotypic assessments under greenhouse conditions confirmed overall morphological consistency, with only minor variations observed during the early growth stage. This cryopreservation strategy provides a reliable, reproducible method for long-term conservation and recovery of P. communis germplasm, preserving genetic integrity and offering a scalable foundation for future large-scale propagation and distribution to support breeding and commercial cultivation.
Temperature is one of the most important factors affecting coloration during fruit ripening. We found that red color development and anthocyanin synthesis in the "Sanhua" plums were significantly inhibited at temperatures higher than 33 degrees C, whereas softening and sugar accumulation in these fruits were similar to those at 25 degrees C. There was a marked reduction in the expression levels of PsACO and PsACS at 33 degrees C. A total of 78 different anthocyanin derivatives were identified among the 0 d, 2 d-25 degrees C, 2 d-33 degrees C, 4 d-25 degrees C and 4 d-33 degrees C via UPLC-MS/MS. The cyanidin-3-O-glucoside was the primary contributor to red pigmentation in the "Sanhua" plums, and the content of cyanidin-3-O-glucoside was lower at 33 degrees C than that at 25 degrees C. Transcriptome analysis revealed 691 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the 2 d-33 degrees C vs 2 d-25 degrees C and 824 DEGs in the 4 d-33 degrees C vs 4 d-25 degrees C, and DEGs were significantly enriched in metabolic and secondary metabolic pathways. The activity of enzymes and the expression of genes related to anthocyanin synthesis were suppressed at 33 degrees C compared with those at 25 degrees C. Moreover, nine transcription factors (TFs) were screened out, including AtMYB113-like, AtMYB44-like and MdWRKY41-like, as candidate regulators contributing to abnormal coloration in fruit in response to high temperatures, providing candidate targets for further in-depth investigation. These results provide a theoretical basis for the suppression effect of high temperatures on anthocyanin synthesis during fruit ripening of "Sanhua" plums in further research.
Fruit cracking and scorching are critical physiological disorders limiting the productivity and marketability of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.), particularly in the commercially important cultivar 'Shahi.' The problem has intensified under recent climatic variability characterized by erratic rainfall and elevated temperatures. A two-year (production season of 2024 and 2025) field investigation was conducted at the ICAR - National Research Center on Litchi, Muzaffarpur, India, comprising two parallel experiments: (i) evaluation of litchi genotypes for susceptibility to fruit cracking and scorching, and (ii) assessment of management strategies in cv. 'Shahi.' Significant genotypic variation was observed, with cracking incidence ranging from 2.16% ('NRCL-4') to 16.14% ('Shahi'). Cracking in 'Shahi' began during the rapid aril expansion stage and peaked at the color break phase, whereas scorching developed from color break to maturity under high temperature conditions. Among the tested interventions, under-canopy mini-sprinkler irrigation and preharvest bagging were the most effective, reducing the incidence of cracking by 90.22% and 78.24% and scorching by 78.80% and 87.76%, respectively. Mini-sprinkler irrigation lowered canopy temperature by 4.3 degrees C and maintained a stable microclimate. The study confirms that cracking susceptibility in litchi is strongly genotype-dependent and climatically driven. Integrating genotype selection and microclimate regulation-based management provides an effective and sustainable strategy to mitigate cracking and scorching in sensitive cultivar such as 'Shahi,' supporting climate-resilient litchi production systems.
