flavor index

The intense heat, high solar radiation, limited water resources, and poor soil conditions in the Sistan region have weakened Yaghouti grapevines. Achieving optimal quantitative and qualitative yields requires precise management of bud numbers during winter pruning and regulation of vegetative growth throughout the growing season until harvest. This study evaluated four levels of winter balanced pruning intensity and four levels of green pruning intensity.The winter pruning treatments included:Control (local practice)Light pruning (10+60)Moderate pruning (10+40)Heavy pruning (10+20)The green pruning treatments included:Control (local practice)Light pruning (pruning green shoots, eight nodes above the last cluster)Moderate pruning (removal of lateral shoots + pruning green shoots, eight nodes above the last cluster)Heavy pruning (removal of non-productive green shoots from the previous year's fruiting branches + removal of lateral shoots + pruning green shoots, eight nodes above the last cluster)Heavy winter pruning increased total soluble solids (8.4%), total acidity (14.5%), juice content (5%), cluster sunburn (11%), and flavor index (7.6%) compared to the control. It also decreased acidity (20.1%) and reduced the number of days to maturity (10.5%). Overall, the highest flavor index for Yaghouti grapes was observed under heavy winter pruning combined with the removal of non-productive green shoots from the previous year's fruiting branches, complete removal of lateral shoots, and pruning of green shoots, eight nodes above the last cluster.

This study was conducted to evaluate the morpho-physiological and pomological traits of 21 peach cultivars/genotypes under the Mashhad climatic conditions, during two years (2017-2019), based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results indicated significant differences between cultivars and genotypes in terms of morphological, pomological, and qualitative traits. The results showed that ‘Early-Red’ and ‘Vizivo’ were among the early flowering genotypes with a long flowering period (20 days). ‘Baby Gold-5’ and ‘PMsh-5’ were the earliest-ripening, and ‘PMsh-2’ and ‘PMsh-4’ were the latest-ripening genotypes. ‘Dixie Red’ and ‘PMsh-5’with 1.85 and 1.77 m3 respectively had the highest volume of the crown of the tree. ‘J.H.Hale’ had the highest fruit weight with an average of 148.92 g, while ‘Apago’, ‘Early-Red’, and ‘PMsh-5’ had the lowest fruit weight. ‘PMsh-1’, ‘Vizivo’, ‘PMsh-6’, and ‘Sorkho-Sefid Mashhad’ cultivars and genotypes had the highest fruit length, width, and shape index and placed statistically in the same group with ‘J.H.Hale’ cultivar. ‘Sorkho-Sefid Mashhad’ cultivar showed 59.1% more yield efficiency, compared to the control cultivar (‘J.H.Hale’). The highest yield efficiency belonged to ‘Baby Gold-5’, ‘PMsh-3’, ‘Suncrest’, and ‘PMsh-8’. The lowest acidity achieved in ‘Apago’, ‘Shasta’, and ‘PMsh-8’. ‘Sorkho-Sefid Mashhad’, had the highest TSS content, which was increased by 3.68% compared to the control cultivar (‘J.H.Hale’). ‘Apago’, ‘PMsh-1’, ‘Shasta’, and ‘Sorkho-Sefid Mashhad’, compared to ‘J.H.Hale’ cultivar, had higher flavor index, 16.17, 27.25, 26.29 and 26.67%, respectively. In general, based on the studied traits, ‘Sorkho-Sefid Mashhad’, ‘Vizivo’, ‘PMsh-1’, and ‘PMsh-6’ are recommended as promising cultivars and genotypes under Mashhad climatic conditions.

Strawberry fruit has very short postharvest life because of its soft texture. To evaluate application effects of amino acids on Post-harvest life of Strawberry fruits, a factorial experiment was carried out based on completely randomized design in Research Greenhouse of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Experimental treatments were three amino acids (Arginine, Glutamine and Alanine) at three levels (0, 500 and 1000 µM) and two cultivars of strawberry (Camarosa and Gaviota). Strawberry fruits were harvested at commercial maturity stage and transported to the laboratory. Then fruits were kept in plastic containers and stored at 4 ºC. After 15 days, total soluble solids (TSS), titrable acidity (TA), flavor index (TSS/TA), total anthocyanin, total phenol, phelavonoid, total antioxidant capacity and percentage of fruit weight loss were determined. Results showed that the highest flavor index (18.41) was observed in Alanine1000- cultivar Gaviota. Also, the lowest fruit weight loss was related to Alanine 500- cultivar Gaviota (18%) and Arginine 500- cultivar Gaviota (14.5%) treatments. These two treatments were not statistically different. The highest fruit-weight loss (65.5%) was observed in Glutamine 500- cultivar Gaviota. Also, Glutamine 500- cultivar Gaviota had the highest Antocyanine. It can be concluded from this experiment that application of Arginine and Alanine amino acids prior to harvest of strawberry fruits can increase their postharvest life and quality.

In this research, the effect of chitosan, nano-chitosan, methylcellulose, and pectin on maintenance of bioactive compounds and storability of pomegranate aril cv. Rabbab-e-Neyriz were studied during storage time. Arils were treated with 1.5% chitosan, 3% methylcellulose, 3% pectin and pure nano-chitosan (100%) solutions and then stored at 5 °C for 16 days and sampling of stored arils was done at 4 days intervals. After 16 days of storage at 5 °C, fungal contamination was observed in all samples except for those treated with 1.5% chitosan. The most and the least weight loss in arils obtained in the control and those treated with 1.5% chitosan, respectively. The edible coatings especially chitosan significantly prevented from degradation of anthocyanin and ascorbic acid. Total phenoland antioxidant activity of juice decreased during storage; however chitosan coating significantly led tomaintain these bioactive compounds. Edible coating treatments and especially chitosan maintained the TSS, TA, flavor index in comparison with control. Overall, chitosan effectively reduced water loss, aril losses and maintained bioactive compounds during storage.

Production of high quality with high shelf life of apple fruits, is of great importance. Present study investigates the effects of ammonium nitrate and iron on quality and antioxidant properties of apple fruit cultivar Gala in a randomized complete block design. Foliar application of iron chelate in three levels (0, 5 and 10 mg/l) and soil nutrition of ammonium nitrate in three levels as strip (0, 40 and 60 mg/kg per tree), were applied. Results showed that using iron and ammonium nitrate had a significant effect (P≤0.01) on fruit quality. According to these results, using ammonium nitrate increased total antioxidant activity and total phenolic compounds. With increasing iron concentrations, total antioxidant activity increased, but it reduced the amount of total phenolic compounds. Application of iron decreased total acidity and increased fruit flavor index. According to results, treatments had no significant effect on TSS and color indices. This study showed that balanced nitrogen and iron fertilization could increase the quality and antioxidant contents of apple cv. Gala.