scholarly journals Comparing the Efficacy of Postharvest Cooling Methods to Enhance Fruit Quality and Reduce Salmonella in Artificially Inoculated Southern Highbush Blueberry

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 314-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaysankar De ◽  
Aswathy Sreedharan ◽  
You Li ◽  
Alan Gutierrez ◽  
Jeffrey K. Brecht ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shelf Life ◽  
Fruit Quality ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Temperature Management ◽  
Air Cooling ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Fresh Market ◽  
Southern Highbush

Cooling procedures used by blueberry (Vaccinium sp.) growers often may include delays up to 24 hours that can damage the fruit through rough handling and adverse temperatures, thereby potentially compromising quality and, subsequently, safety. The objectives of this experiment were to compare forced-air cooling (FAC) compared to hydrocooling without sanitizer (HW) and hydrocooling with sanitizer (HS) regarding the quality and shelf life of southern highbush blueberry [SHB (Vaccinium corymbosum)] and to determine the efficacy of these treatments for reducing Salmonella in SHB. Freshly harvested SHB that were inoculated with a five-serovar cocktail of rifampin-resistant Salmonella were rapidly chilled by FAC or hydrocooling (HW and HS) using a laboratory model system. FAC did not show any significant reduction (P > 0.05) in Salmonella or in the effects on the microbiological quality of blueberries. HW and HS reduced Salmonella by ≈2 and >4 log cfu/g SHB, respectively, on day 0. These postharvest treatments were also evaluated for their ability to help maintain fruit quality throughout a storage period of 21 days at 1 °C. Hydrocooling (both HS and HW) provided more rapid cooling than FAC. Hydrocooled blueberries showed significant weight gain (P < 0.05), whereas FAC resulted in a slight, but insignificant (P > 0.05), reduction in final weight. The results of hydrocooling, both HS and HW, shown in this study could help to extend the shelf life while maintaining or increasing the microbiological quality of fresh market blueberries. Information obtained by this study can be used for developing the best temperature management practices to maintain the postharvest safety and quality of blueberries.

scholarly journals Effects of Machine-Harvest Interval on Fruit Quality of Fresh Market Northern Highbush Blueberry

Horticulturae ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 245
Author(s):  
Yixin Cai ◽  
Fumiomi Takeda ◽  
Brian Foote ◽  
Lisa Wasko DeVetter
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Quality ◽  
Titratable Acidity ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Soluble Solids ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Labor Costs ◽  
Fresh Market ◽  
Harvest Intervals ◽  
Northern Highbush Blueberry

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.

scholarly journals Foliar Calcium Applications Do Not Improve Quality or Shelf Life of Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, or Blueberry Fruit

HortScience ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 382-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda J. Vance ◽  
Patrick Jones ◽  
Bernadine C. Strik
Keyword(s):  
Shelf Life ◽  
Fruit Quality ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Rubus Idaeus ◽  
Soluble Solids ◽  
Fresh Market ◽  
Off Flavors ◽  
Good Coverage ◽  
Early Harvest

Foliar calcium (Ca) products are applied by many berry growers to enhance fruit quality and shelf life without evidence that these applications increase fruit Ca or impact fruit characteristics when applied at rates recommended on the product label. The objectives of this study were to determine if fruit or leaf Ca increases when several formulations of liquid Ca products are applied to developing fruit, and to assess any resulting changes in fresh market quality of berries. Products were applied in strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa L., ‘Hood’ and ‘Albion’), raspberry (Rubus idaeus L., ‘Tulameen’ and ‘Vintage’), blackberry (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus, Watson, ‘Obsidian’ and ‘Triple Crown’), and blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L., ‘Spartan’, ‘Liberty’, ‘Draper’, and ‘Legacy’). Calcium formulations tested were Ca chloride (CaCl2), CaCl2 + boron, Ca silicate, Ca chelate, and Ca acetate, which were compared with a water-only control. The rates used for each product were within ranges specified on the label and supplied equal amounts of Ca per ha for each treatment; the Ca concentration varied from 0.05% to 0.3% depending on the cultivar and the volume of water required for good coverage. All products were applied with a backpack sprayer, except in a separate trial where a backpack and electrostatic sprayer were compared in ‘Draper’ and ‘Legacy’. Treatment applications were started at the early green fruit stage and were repeated three or four times, depending on duration of berry development and cultivar. Fruit were harvested into commercial clamshells 4 days to ≈4 weeks after the final application of Ca from an early harvest at commercial ripeness. Data collected included berry weight, rating of fruit appearance and flavor, firmness, skin toughness, total soluble solids (TSS), and weight loss and nesting (collapse of fruit) during storage (evaluated at ≈5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-days postharvest). Fruit and leaves were sampled at harvest to determine Ca concentration. There was no evidence of spotting or off-flavors due to Ca applications. Compared with the control, none of the Ca treatments or method of application changed leaf or fruit Ca concentration, fruit quality, firmness, or shelf life in any crop or cultivar tested.

scholarly journals Techniques for Increasing Machine Harvest Efficiency in Highbush Blueberry

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 430-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fumiomi Takeda ◽  
Gerard Krewer ◽  
Changying Li ◽  
Daniel MacLean ◽  
James W. Olmstead
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Quality ◽  
Contact Surface ◽  
Plant Architecture ◽  
Plant Size ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Fresh Market ◽  
Ground Loss ◽  
Marketable Fruit ◽  
Southern Highbush

Northern highbush (NH) blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) and southern highbush (SH) blueberry (V. corymbosum hybrids) have fruit that vary in firmness. The SH fruit is mostly hand harvested for the fresh market. Hand harvesting is labor-intensive requiring more than 500 hours/acre. Rabbiteye blueberry (V. virgatum) tends to have firmer fruit skin than that of NH blueberry and has been mostly machine harvested for the processing industry. Sparkleberry (V. arboreum) has very firm fruit. With the challenges of labor availability, efforts are under way to produce more marketable fruit using machine harvesting. This could require changing the design of harvesting machine and plant architecture, and the development of cultivars with fruit that will bruise less after impact with hard surfaces of machines. The objectives of this study were to determine the fruit quality of machine-harvested SH blueberry, analyze the effect of drop height and padding the contact surface on fruit quality, investigate the effect of crown restriction on ground loss, and determine the effect of plant size on machine harvestability. The fruit of ‘Farthing’, ‘Scintilla’, ‘Sweetcrisp’, and several selections were either hand harvested or machine harvested and assessed during postharvest storage for bruise damage and softening. Machine harvesting contributed to bruise damage in the fruit and softening in storage. The fruit of firm-textured SH blueberry (‘Farthing’, ‘Sweetcrisp’, and selection FL 05-528) was firmer than that of ‘Scintilla’ after 1 week in cold storage. Fruit drop tests from a height of 20 and 40 inches on a plastic surface showed that ‘Scintilla’ was more susceptible to bruising than that of firm-textured ‘Farthing’ and ‘Sweetcrisp’. When the contact surface was cushioned with a foam sheet, bruise incidence was significantly reduced in all SH blueberry used in the study. Also, the fruit dropped 40 inches developed more bruise damage than those dropped 20 inches. Ground loss during machine harvesting was reduced from 24% to 17% by modifying the rabbiteye blueberry plant architecture. Further modifications to harvesting machines and plant architecture are necessary to improve the quality of machine-harvested SH and rabbiteye blueberry fruit and the overall efficiency of blueberry (Vaccinium species and hybrids) harvesting machines.

scholarly journals Optimizing Nitrogen Fertigation Rates for Young Southern Highbush Blueberry

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 389
Author(s):  
Yang Fang ◽  
Jeffrey Williamson ◽  
Rebecca Darnell ◽  
Yuncong Li ◽  
Guodong Liu
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Quality ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Fruit Yield ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Soil Nitrate ◽  
Southern Highbush ◽  
N Rates

The commercial blueberry industry in Florida has expanded significantly in both acreage and value in the past several years. The southern highbush blueberry (SHB, Vaccinium corymbosum L. interspecific hybrid) is the major blueberry type grown in Florida. The nitrogen (N) demand of young SHB differs from the northern highbush blueberry (NHB, V. corymbosum L.) and from mature blueberry plants. The objective of this study was to optimize fertigated N rates for the growth and yield of young SHB plants. One-year-old ‘Emerald’ and ‘Farthing’ plants were fertilized with 32N-0P-0K through drip irrigation at annual rates of 0, 42, 84, 168, and 336 kg N ha−1. Soil nitrate levels at multiple depths were measured along with leaf nutrient concentration, percent canopy ground cover, fruit yield and fruit quality. The results indicated that N rates had no significant effect on leaf nutrient concentrations. Greater N rates advanced bloom and harvest, increased percentage of ground cover (an indicator of canopy size), fruit yield and berry numbers per plant, but decreased mean berry diameter and weight. The soil nitrate results from both ‘Emerald’ and ‘Farthing’ revealed that the 336 kg N ha−1 treatment had a significantly greater risk for nitrate leaching than the lower N treatments in spring. The effect of N rates on fruit quality varied with cultivar and harvest season. The linear plateau regression of fruit yield and N rates indicated that the maximum yield reached at the annual N fertigation rate of 222 kg ha−1 for ‘Emerald’ and 206 kg ha−1 for ‘Farthing’.

scholarly journals New Foliar-applied Biofilm Had No Impact on Splitting or Fruit Quality in ‘Elliott’ and ‘Legacy’ Blueberry in Oregon

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 836-842
Author(s):  
Amanda J. Vance ◽  
Bernadine C. Strik
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Quality ◽  
Color Change ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Sprinkler System ◽  
Soluble Solids ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Fresh Market ◽  
Visual Rating ◽  
Berry Size ◽  
Current Product

Fresh market blueberry (Vaccinium sp.) sales require high-quality, firm fruit with no significant defects. A new phospholipid biofilm product was developed to reduce splitting and increase firmness when applied directly to blueberry fruit. Two trials were undertaken to test the effects of the biofilm using various application timings and methods. In highbush blueberry cultivar Elliott (Vaccinium corymbosum), four treatments included: 1) rate and timing on the current product label (5- to 10-mm berry size, 10% to 20% color change, and between the first and second harvests), 2) addition of a preharvest timing (5- to 10-mm berry size, 10% to 20% color change, and 7 to 10 days preharvest); 3) starting applications later (10% to 20% color change, 7 to 10 days preharvest, and between the first and second harvests), and 4) a water-sprayed control. Biofilm was applied at a rate of 2 qt/acre for all applications. In highbush blueberry cultivar Legacy (Vaccinium corymbosum × Vaccinium sp.), the same volume of biofilm was applied via an airblast sprayer or through an overhead sprinkler system typically used for chemigation and compared with a water-sprayed control. Data collected included yield (in ‘Elliott’), berry weight, firmness, skin toughness, total soluble solids (TSS), weight loss during storage, percent splitting (in ‘Legacy’), and a visual rating, evaluated on the day of harvest and about 14 and 28 days postharvest. There were no visual defects caused by application of biofilm. Compared with the controls in either study, biofilm had no consistent impact on fruit quality, firmness, shelf life, yield in ‘Elliott’, or splitting in ‘Legacy’.

scholarly journals Effect of Forced-air Cooling, Hydrocooling, or their Combination on Fruit Quality of Two Southern Highbush Blueberry Cultivars

HortScience ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 136-142
Author(s):  
Marcelo A.G. Carnelossi ◽  
Edinaldo O.A. Sena ◽  
Adrian D. Berry ◽  
Steven A. Sargent
Keyword(s):  
Citric Acid ◽  
Fruit Quality ◽  
The United States ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Air Cooling ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Cooling Method ◽  
Forced Air ◽  
Southern Highbush ◽  
Cooling Methods

Blueberry is widely grown around the world, and the United States is the leading producer. A strategy to maintain fruit quality during commercial handling is rapid cooling using the forced-air system. Hydrocooling (HY) is an effective cooling method widely used for many crops and has potential as a cooling method for blueberry. The objective of this study was to compare the cooling efficiency of conventional forced-air cooling (FA), the current commercial method, with immersion HY alone or HY in combination with FA (HY + FA), and to determine effects on blueberry fruit quality during subsequent cold storage. ‘Emerald’ and ‘Farthing’ southern highbush blueberry were commercially harvested and packed into plastic clamshell containers. FA was accomplished by simulating commercial conditions using a small-scale unit within a cold room at 1 °C/80% relative humidity (RH) until 7/8 cooling was achieved (27 minutes). For HY, fruit in clamshells (125 g) were immersed in chlorinated ice water (200 ppm free Cl−1, pH = 7.0) and 7/8 cooling occurred in 4 minutes. For HY + FA, fruit were 7/8 hydrocooled then transferred to FA for 30 minutes to remove free water from the fruit. After the cooling treatments, clamshells were evaluated weekly for selected quality parameters during 21 days storage at 1 °C. For HY treatment, the 1/2 cooling time was 1.13 minutes for ‘Emerald’ and 1.19 minutes for ‘Farthing’, whereas for FA treatment, the 1/2 cooling times were 4.5 and 6.8 minutes, respectively. For ‘Farthing’, cooling method did not affect fruit firmness; after 21 days, there was a slight softening in fruit from all treatments. However, ‘Emerald’ fruit cooled by HY + FA were softer than those from either HY or FA after 14 days of storage. For all cooling methods ‘Emerald’ was less acidic (0.3% citric acid) and was sweeter [10.2% soluble solids content (SSC)] than ‘Farthing’ (0.6% citric acid, 9.4% SSC). There were no differences in bloom among cooling methods. Bloom ratings for ‘Emerald’ remained >4.5 (70% to 80% coverage) whereas that for ‘Farthing’ cooled by HY or HY + FA was 3.7. Anthocyanin concentration in ‘Emerald’ fruit from HY + FA cooling method decreased by 33% during 21 days of storage, whereas that for ‘Farthing’ remained constant (8.3 mg cyanidin-3-Glicoside/g) irrespective of treatment during storage. Compared with ‘Farthing’, ‘Emerald’ was more sensitive to HY, where ≈15% of fruit developed visual skin breaks (split) after 7 days storage. HY shows potential as an alternative method to rapidly and thoroughly cool southern highbush blueberries such as ‘Farthing’, thus, maintaining fruit quality, while introducing a rinsing and sanitizing treatment. HY needs to be tested on commercial cultivars to determine the incidence of fruit splitting.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Southern Highbush Blueberry Cultivars for Production in Southwestern Arkansas

2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 271-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Manjula Carter ◽  
John R. Clark ◽  
R. Keith Striegler
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Quality ◽  
Cold Hardiness ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Chilling Requirement ◽  
Production Potential ◽  
Vaccinium Ashei ◽  
Early Ripening ◽  
Quality And Reliability ◽  
Southern Highbush

Southern highbush blueberry, a hybrid of northern highbush (Vaccinium corymbosum) and southern-adapted Vaccinium species, has the potential to meet the need for an early-ripening blueberry in the southern U.S. southern highbush cultivars can ripen up to one month earlier than the earliest rabbiteye (Vaccinium ashei) cultivars currently grown in the southern U.S. However, chilling requirement and cold-hardiness are cultivar-dependent for southern highbush and cultivar testing has been necessary to determine the cultivars best adapted to specific hardiness zones. In a 4-year study at Hope, Ark. (hardiness zone 7b), several southern highbush cultivars were evaluated for productivity, fruit quality and reliability of cropping. Yields were based on 1089 plants/acre (2690 plants/ha) for southern highbush cultivars and 605 plants/acre (1494 plants/ha) for rabbiteye cultivars. `Ozarkblue' and `Legacy' showed the most adaptability at this location, yielding on average 11,013 lb/acre (12,309 kg·ha-1) and 10,328 lb/acre (11,543 kg·ha-1) respectively, compared to 4882 lb/acre (5456 kg·ha-1) for `Premier' (rabbiteye) over 4 years. `Ozarkblue' and `Legacy' also rated well for plant vigor and fruit quality. We would recommend `Ozarkblue' and `Legacy' for commercial planting in southwest Arkansas and believe these cultivars have production potential for other areas of the southern U.S. that have similar hardiness zones and soil type to southwest Arkansas.

scholarly journals The Influence of 1-MCP on Shelf-Life Quality of Highbush Blueberry

HortScience ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 417-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. DeLong ◽  
Robert K. Prange ◽  
Conny Bishop ◽  
Peter A. Harrison ◽  
Daniel A.J. Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Shelf Life ◽  
Good Condition ◽  
Life Quality ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Controlled Atmosphere ◽  
Life Period ◽  
Highbush Blueberries ◽  
Marketable Fruit

To determine if postharvest treatments of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) retard the senescence of highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) removed from storage, `Burlington' (early) and `Coville' (late) fruit were harvested from four experimental sites and treated for 24 hours at 20 °C with 0 (control), 25 (low), 100 (medium), or 400 (high) nL·L-1 of 1-MCP. All fruit were then stored in a controlled atmosphere of 10-15 kPa O2 and 10 kPa CO2 at -1 to 1 °C for 4, 8, and 12 weeks, followed by a 20 °C shelf-life of up to 20 days. During the shelf-life period immediately after harvest and those following each storage removal, percent marketable fruit (PMF) were calculated daily as: [fruit in good condition]/[total berry number] × 100. Changes in PMF were not affected by 1-MCP treatment; hence, we conclude that 1-MCP at rates up to 400 nL·L-1 does not alter the shelf-life quality of the highbush blueberry cultivars tested.

scholarly journals Vegetative and Reproductive Traits of Two Southern Highbush Blueberry Cultivars Grafted onto Vaccinium arboreum Rootstocks

HortScience ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (7) ◽  
pp. 880-886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Casamali ◽  
Rebecca L. Darnell ◽  
Alisson P. Kovaleski ◽  
James W. Olmstead ◽  
Jeffrey G. Williamson
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Quality ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Soluble Solids ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Canopy Volume ◽  
Southern Highbush ◽  
Vaccinium Arboreum ◽  
Amended Soil

Vaccinium arboreum Marsh is a wild species adapted to high pH (above 6.0) and low organic matter soils (below 2.0%). The use of V. arboreum rootstocks may be a viable option to increase soil adaptation of southern highbush blueberry (SHB) (Vaccinium corymbosum interspecific hybrid) under marginal soil conditions. The objective of this research was to evaluate the vegetative and reproductive traits of ‘Farthing’ and ‘Meadowlark’ SHB own-rooted or grafted onto V. arboreum and grown in pine bark–amended or nonamended soil. The study was conducted from 2012 through 2014 at a research center in Citra, FL, and a grower’s farm in Archer, FL. Vaccinium arboreum rootstock generally induced the same effects in both cultivars. Grafted plants in both soil treatments had reduced canopy growth in the first year after field planting compared with own-rooted plants in amended soil. However, canopy volume of grafted plants was greater than own-rooted plants in nonamended soil and similar to own-rooted plants in amended soil 2 years after field planting for ‘Meadowlark’ and 3 years after planting for ‘Farthing’. Fruit yield was lower in grafted plants compared with own-rooted plants in the first fruiting year (2 years after field planting). By the second fruiting year, yields of grafted plants were similar to or greater than yields of own-rooted plants when grown in nonamended soil, whereas in amended soil, yields of grafted plants were similar to yields of own-rooted plants. Grafted plants had greater mean berry weight, but lower berry firmness; however, the firmness values were still considered acceptable (greater than 160 g⋅mm−1). Internal fruit quality [total soluble solids (TSS) and total titratable acidity (TTA)] was not consistently affected by the rootstock or soil treatments. These results suggest that grafting SHB onto V. arboreum does not increase yield in the establishment years compared with own-rooted SHB when grown in amended soils, but may have the ability to increase yield with no negative effects on fruit quality when grown in nonamended soils.

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