Journal of Berry Research - Volume 2, issue 1

Authors: Pritts, Marvin

Article Type: Review Article

Abstract: A major challenge in berry production is the management of pests. Traditionally, growers have used pesticides to manage weeds, arthropods and pathogens, but pressure has been increasing to reduce or eliminate their use. A multitude of approaches and technologies exist that could potentially reduce pesticide use and increase consumer acceptance of berries. Many of these have not yet been widely used in the production of berries. The intent of this paper is to identify ten promising approaches that can lead to reduced pesticide use, and provide examples of how these can be applied to berry production in the future.

Keywords: Breeding, Fragaria, genetic engineering, insect, organic, pesticide, Ribes, Rubus, Vaccinium, virus

DOI: 10.3233/JBR-2011-024

Citation: Journal of Berry Research, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 1-6, 2012

Authors: Piagnani, Maria Claudia | Debellini, Claudia | LoScalzo, Roberto

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Service tree (Sorbus domestica L.) belongs to a large genus of plants, that in the past characterized the agricultural landscape of large areas of Europe. In the light of recent acquisitions regarding nutraceutical and functional properties of service fruits in allied Sorbus species, our work aimed at the morphological description, evaluation of fruit quality and functional-nutraceutical properties of the same accessions selected for timber, in order to identify double aptitude plants. Morphological and chemical differences among plant selections were found particularly for titratable acidity and red colour of the skin: bletting contributed to mitigate such differences. Chromatograms obtained by reversed-phase …HPLC analysis indicated that the phenolic compounds present in the matrix may be assimilated to three main classes of compounds: gallic acid, its derivative and polymeric tannins. Acids and flavonols were present in much lower quantities this indicating that the main phenolic compounds nature of our service fruit selections were hydrolysable tannins. A linear and positive correlation was found between the two methods, DPPH–EPR and CAB, used to assay antioxidant capacity this indicating that easy to manage DPPH-EPR assay may be used for substrates that are high in phenols as the case of service fruits. Our original hypothesis of wide variability among trees was finally confirmed by discriminant analysis which admitted most of the recorded variables, and showed each plant selection as a case in itself. Show more

Keywords: Phenolic content, fruit extracts, flavonoids, DPPH-EPR scavenging spectra, crocin bleaching assay

DOI: 10.3233/JBR-2011-023

Citation: Journal of Berry Research, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 7-22, 2012

Authors: Pluta, Stanisław | Żurawicz, Edward | Pruski, Kris

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The fruit quality of 10 blackcurrant genotypes of Polish origin (‘Bona’, ‘Gofert’, ‘Tines’, D13B/11 and PC-425 very recently named as ‘Tihope’) and Ukrainian (‘Chereshnieva’, ‘Yubylejnaia Kopania’, ‘Saniuta’, ‘Sofievskaia’ and ‘Vernisazh’) was evaluated in Central Poland in 2008–2010. The yield, fruit size (weight of 100 berries), the length of strigs and number of berries per strig, fruit firmness, soluble solids, content of ascorbic acids (vit. C), fruit appearance, taste and aroma as well as the shelf-life of fresh fruit in a room temperature were assessed. Results obtained in studies showed that new Polish cultivars ‘Tihope’ (PC-425) and ‘Gofert’ as well as …Ukrainian cultivars ‘Jubilejnaja Kopania’ and ‘Vernisazh’ were the most productive and had the highest average fruit yield. The largest fruits produced the Polish breeding clone (D13B/11). Large fruits also had the standard cultivar ‘Bona’, cv. ‘Tihope’ (PC-425) and ‘Saniuta’. The highest number of fruit per strig was counted on Ukrainian cultivars (‘Chereshnieva’, ‘Yubylejnaia Kopania’, ‘Saniuta’) and Polish cv. ‘Gofert’. These cultivars also produced the longest strigs. The tested cultivars differed slightly in the attractiveness of the fruits. ‘Bona’ and ‘Tihope’ (PC-425) boasted the best appearance of fruits. Fruits of ‘Bona’ were found as the most flavorful. ‘Saniuta’, ‘Gofert’ and D13B/11 demonstrated only a little less taste and aroma. The best shelf-life of fruits possessed ‘Bona’, ‘Tihope’ (PC-425) and ‘Tines’. The firmest fruits were produced by ‘Chereshnieva’, ‘Tihope’ (PC-425), ‘Sofievskaia’ and ‘Gofert’. The highest content of soluble solids was found in fruit of ‘Gofert’ and ‘Tines’. The richest in vitamin C were fruits of ‘Gofert’, ‘Sofievskaia’ and ‘Tihope’ (PC-425). Show more

Keywords: Blackcurrant, Ribes nigrum L., cultivars, dessert fruit quality, yield, fruit size, evaluation

DOI: 10.3233/JBR-2011-025

Citation: Journal of Berry Research, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 23-31, 2012

Authors: Quiroga, Andrea Mariela | Deis, Leonor | Cavagnaro, Juan Bruno | Bottini, Rubén | Silva, María Fernanda

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The production of grapevine secondary metabolites can be magnified by abiotic stresses or exogenous abscisic acid. Selected phenolic compounds were determined in grape and wine by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with the aim to asses the physiological responses of plants submitted to water stress and hormonal treatments. Exogenous abscisic acids as well as postveraison water stress produce differential enhancements on phenolic accumulation on Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and such effects were reflected in wine. Resveratrol and malvidin were enhanced by both abscisic acid and water stress and the improvement produced by such factors was additive. On the other hand, the synthesis of …gallic acid, (+) catechin, quercetin and caffeic acid was not stimulated by water deficit. Combined hormonal-water stress treatments produced three positive effects on wine quality; a) increments of blue compounds, b) increments of flavonols and flavan 3-oles that favor copigmentation of wines, c) higher antioxidant compounds concentration with the consequent health benefits. Show more

Keywords: Phenolic compounds, Cabernet Sauvignon, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, abscisic acid, water stress

DOI: 10.3233/JBR-2011-026

Citation: Journal of Berry Research, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 33-44, 2012

Authors: Colquhoun, Thomas A. | Levin, Laura A. | Moskowitz, Howard R. | Whitaker, Vance M. | Clark, David G. | Folta, Kevin M.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: While hands-on, focus-group-based testing may be used to measure consumer preference, other computationally-based methods have also proven effective in testing opinions and sentiment toward a product. The IdeaMap® approach presents online, human subjects with a suite of attributes that define a given product. The subjects rate the product as these attributes change in various combinations. Upon analysis, individual attributes of the product, identified as consistently favorable or unfavorable, become apparent. In applying this methodology to strawberries, three-hundred and six subjects representing a broad cross-section of demographics from the United States were surveyed. The subjects rated perceived strawberry fruits based …on appearance, texture, health benefits, flavor, point of purchase, and how they were consumed. Results from these experiments define the individual elements of a strawberry that contribute to or detract from an “ideal” strawberry experience. Furthermore, the results of this study indicate that sweetness and complex flavors are the most important attributes, while perceived health benefits had little influence on consumer preference. The point of purchase can have a strong positive or negative effect, depending on the demographic fraction. Additional analysis of these results illustrate that there is not a single, perfect strawberry. Specific likes, dislikes and preferences change with ethnicity, age, gender, urban or suburban location, education and marital status. The results from this study can help shape breeding priorities as well as provide important guidance for marketing to specific demographics in the interest of increasing strawberry consumption. Show more

Keywords: IdeaMap, psychophysics, strawberry, Fragaria, flavor

DOI: 10.3233/JBR-2011-027

Citation: Journal of Berry Research, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 45-61, 2012