Genetic mapping of the tomato quality traits brix and blossom-end rot under supplemental LED and HPS lighting conditions

LED lighting has emerged as alternative to the current HPS standard in greenhouse production. However little is known about the impact on fruit quality under the different light spectra. We grew a biparental tomato RIL population between September 2019 and January 2020 under two commercial greenhouse supplemental lighting conditions, i.e. HPS, and 95% red/5% blue- LED, of about 220 µmol m−2 s−1 at maximum canopy height for 16 h per day. Differences in Brix and blossom-end rot (BER) between the two light conditions were observed and we studied the genetic influences on those traits, separating genetics located on chromosomes from genetics located in plastids. The Brix value was on average 11% lower under LED than under HPS supplemental lighting. A LED-light specific QTL for Brix was identified on chromosome 6. This QTL can be of interest for breeding for tomato varieties cultivated under LED supplemental lighting. A Brix-QTL on chromosome 2 was found for both light conditions. In our study fewer plants developed BER under LED supplemental lighting than under HPS. We identified a novel genetic locus on chromosome 11 for the incidence of BER that lead to a difference in about 20% of fruits with BER. This genetic component was independent of the light.

Physical-chemical characterization and sensory evaluation of coffees submitted to different post-harvest processing

Coffee is one of the agricultural products whose processing requires special attention, in order to maintain its qualities preserved, in the post-harvest, different grain patterns can be obtained due to the adoption of techniques and the use of equipment that enable the separation of fruits by maturation stage, thus enabling the formation of more homogeneous coffee batches when compared to the coffee batch without this separation (fruit mixture). The chemical composition of the coffee bean depends on genetic and environmental factors and pre and post-harvest management conditions. The presentwork aimed to characterize the physical-chemical attributes of the different coffee patterns obtained during the post-harvest of the fruits. Thirteen patterns were obtained, being: mix of dried fruits in high wind, mix of dried fruits in low wind, more mature green, natural float, natural raisin, float, natural cane green, natural ripe, natural ripe fermenting in water, natural ripe dried fermented, peeled, ripe peeled and pulped, in three random repetitions. The evaluated attributes were: Brix, total titratable acidity, pH, and ash content. The Natural Mature (MN) treatment was the best processing evaluated, as it provided the highest Brix value and the lowest titratable acidity value. The mature peeled, pulped mature, and natural mature treatments showed better sensory values, so they are recommended for post-harvest management to obtain a good drink quality.

Clairvoyant Melon Maturity Detection Enabled by Doctor-Blade-Coated Photonic Crystals

Climacteric fruits are harvested before they are ripened to avoid adverse damages during transport. The unripe fruits can undergo ripening processes associated with rind color changes on exposure to ethanol vapors. Although rind coloration is a common indicator showing fruit maturity, the attribute does not provide reliable assessment of maturity especially for melons. Herein, we report the achievement of sensitive and reversible melon maturity detection using macroporous hydrogel photonic crystals self-assembled by a roll-to-roll compatible doctor-blade-coating technology. The consumption of applied ethanol vapor during melon ripening results in less condensation of ethanol vapor in the pores (250 nm in diameter), leading to a distinct blue-shift of the optical stop band from 572 to 501 nm and an obvious visual colorimetric readout from yellow green to blue. Moreover, the dependence of the color change on Brix value within the melon has also been evaluated in the study.

Analisis Pertumbuhan Tanaman Tebu (Saccharum officinarum L.) Akibat Aplikasi Vermikompos dan Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR)

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) play an important role for sugar consumption in Indonesia. Problem found with sugar industry in Indonesia is the low productivity of sugarcane because of cultivation techniques caused by low soil fertility. This research aimed to determine effect of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and vermicompost in increasing the growth of sugarcane. The research method used Randomized Block Design (RBD) consisted of 2 factors with a combination of 6 treatments. The first factor was A1 = without PGPR A2 = PGPR (10 ml.L-1) and the second factor was P1 = 3.5 t.ha-1 (50% vermicompost recommended fertilizer), P2 = 7.t ha-1 (100% vermicompost recommended fertilizer) and P3 = 10.5 t.ha-1 (150% vermicompost recommended fertilizer). Variables of this observation are plant height, number of tillers, number of stems, number of internodes, stem diameter, brix value and the yield of sugarcane. At the age 7 months after planting, the treatment of PGPR application at a vermicompost dose of 7 t.ha-1 (78.46 t.ha-1) was able to reduce the need for a vermicompost dose which was shown by a higher yield value compared to without PGPR application with vermicompost 3.5 t.ha-1 and vermicompost dose of 7 t.ha-1. A higher stem weight obtained in the PGPR treatment when compared to the treatment without PGPR. At a vermicompost 7 t.ha-1 and a vermicompost 10.5 t.ha-1 showed a higher stem weight compared to vermicompost 3.5 t.ha-1.

Modifikasi Proses Pengolahan Kopi Arabika Menggunakan Metode Honey Process

The amount of mucilage can be adjusted according to the washing intensity. The level of ripeness of the coffee fruit is also directly proportional to the mucilage constituent components. Optimally ripe coffee cherries have a higher sugar, protein, lipid and water content than raw coffee cherries. So that research is needed to determine the effect of washing intensity and level of ripeness of coffee cherries on the characteristics of the resulting taste of coffee. The research design used was a complete two-factor block design. The first factor is the intensity of washing mucilage that sticks to the surface of the coffee beans; 2 times washing, 1 time washing, without washing. The second factor is the level of ripeness of the coffee cherries; raw coffee cherries, optimally ripe coffee cherries, past ripe coffee cherries. The analyzes were carried out, namely water content, ash content, total sugar content, pH value, Brix, and organoleptic test using the SCAA cupping method. The results of this study indicate that washing intensity affects the Brix value, water content, total sugar content, and pH. Whereas in the second factor, the level of ripeness of the coffee fruit affects the Brik value, water content, total sugar content, and pH. This study also showed that there was a correlation between washing intensity and the level of ripeness of the coffee cherries and the preference of the panelists. The non-washing treatment (black honey) and the optimal level of ripeness were the most preferred by the panelists, all coffees produced from this study met SNI 01-3542-2004. Keywords: arabica characteristics, honey process, maturity level, washing intensity

Preliminary Investigation of The Potential of Coconut Sugar Production Using Dwarf Varieties

Coconut sugar is one of the high economic value products. The production of coconut sugar In Indonesia is about 300,000 tonnes/year. During the last few years, the supply of raw materials for the coconut sugar product has diminished due to stagnant production caused by the lack of coconut climbers collecting coconut sap. The scarcity of labor is caused by several factors, especially young tappers who are less interested in climbing tall coconut palms. To solve this problem, it is necessary to evaluate the potency of dwarf coconuts, with short trunk and fast fruiting. The objective of this study was the evaluation and selection of Dwarf coconut varieties that have high yield potential as a producer of sap and coconut sugar. The research was conducted in North Sulawesi Province by evaluating 9 Dwarf coconut varieties. The results of research on the production of coconut sap and sugar from 9 Dwarf coconut varieties with different plant ages, gave mixed results among coconut varieties. The length of tapping sap varied between 31.42 - 43.21 days/bunch, the volume of sap varied between 1.1 - 3.3 liters/tree/day, the pH of sap ranged between 6.49 - 7.86 and the Brix value varied between 14.01 - 17.64. The most important traits such as the sap yield and sugar production also varied from 14.54 to 18.95% among varieties, and between 0.16 to 0.42 kg/tree/day respectively. The Dwarf coconut varieties with the highest potential yield of sap and sugar are the Waingapu Red Dwarf (WRD), Salak Green Dwarf (SGD), and Nias Yellow Dwarf (NYD), with the potential sugar yield of 2.09 tons, 1.64 tons, and 1.56 tons/month/ha respectively. It is hoped that these Dwarf coconut varieties would be attractive for young tapers and could be introduced to farmers in several Provinces for tapping purposes for the production of coconut sugar.

Development and quality mapping of iron fortified jamun (Syzygium cumini) leather

Focused on the iron-fortification of underutilized food sources of Pakistan, jamun was selected as a vehicle fruit for iron supplementation in the form of jamun leather. Iron-fortified jamun leather was prepared from two varieties available in Pakistan i.e., Desi jamun (V1) and Ra jamun (V2) using ferrous sulfate as a fortificant. The treatments prepared were V1T1, V1T2, V2T1 and V2T2 having iron value of 40% (T1) and 60% (T2) recommended daily allowance (RDA). The analyses as physiochemical, phytochemicals, mineral and sensory evaluations were conducted at 0, 30th, 60th, 90th and 120th day. During the study, pH, ascorbic acid, total phenolic contents (TPC) and (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) DPPH showed a declining trend, whereas reducing sugar, acidity and brix value increased during storage period. During the study, the highest reduction of pH was observed in V1T1 (3.38±0.021), maximum ascorbic acid was determined in Desi jamun (V1) in a range of 6.81- 6.94 mg/100g. Similarly, Desi jamun (V1) had more total phenolic contents i.e., 1372 mg GAE/100g and remarkable DPPH antioxidant activity as 85% as compared to Ra jamun (V2). The sensory parameters such as color, flavor, taste and overall acceptability showed varying preferences of iron fortification among treatments. Based on analyses outcome, V1T1 and V1T2 were most appropriate treatments having the maximum chemical and organoleptic analysis score amongst all the treatments.

Exploring the Use of Polyols, Corn, and Beet Juice for Decreasing the Freezing Point of Brine Solution for Deicing of Pavements

Deicing of pavements is essential to ensure safe and timely movement of traffic in geographical locations where snow and ice events are anticipated. State and local municipalities employ brine solution with 23.3 wt% sodium chloride (NaCl) available in the form of rock salt to deice the pavements. Unlike water, the brine solution does not freeze until the temperature falls below −21.0 °C, i.e., the freezing point of water is depressed by −21.0 °C with the addition of 23.3 wt% NaCl. The depressed freezing point of the brine solution plays a key role in deicing pavements. Unfortunately, a further increase in rock salt content does not lower the freezing point of the brine solution. In this study, different combinations of agricultural products such as polyols including sorbitol, maltitol, and mannitol in brine (23.3 wt% of NaCl in water), and NaCl-juice (corn and beet juice) were investigated to achieve freezing point depressions below −21.0 °C for potential deicing applications in extremely cold areas. Different weight fractions of polyols-brine solutions ranging from 7.14% to 27.77% were considered, and corresponding freezing points were determined. While the sorbitol-brine solution exhibited the lowest freezing point of −38.1 °C at a higher concentration, the maltitol-brine solution exhibited a freezing point of −35.6 °C at the same concentration. Based on the °Brix value, beet juice had almost three times more soluble solids and a lower freezing point compared to corn juice. Adding 23.3 wt% of NaCl in 70% corn juice lowered the freezing point up to −23.5 °C.

Genetic Mapping of the Tomato Quality Traits Brix and Blossom-end Rot Under Supplemental LED and HPS Lighting Conditions

LED lighting has emerged as alternative to the current HPS standard in greenhouse production. However little is known about the impact on fruit quality under the different light spectra. We grew a biparental tomato RIL population between September 2019 and January 2020 under two commercial greenhouse supplemental lighting conditions, i.e. HPS, and 95% red/ 5% blue- LED, of about 220 µmol m− 2 s− 1 at maximum canopy height for 16h per day. Differences in Brix and blossom-end rot (BER) between the two light conditions were observed and we studied the genetic influences on those traits, separating genetics located on chromosomes from genetics located in plastids. The Brix value was on average 11% lower under LED than under HPS supplemental lighting. A LED-light specific QTL for Brix was identified on chromosome 6. This QTL can be of interest for breeding for tomato varieties cultivated under LED supplemental lighting. A Brix-QTL on chromosome 2 was found for both light conditions. In our study fewer plants developed BER under LED supplemental lighting than under HPS. We identified a novel genetic locus on chromosome 11 for the incidence of BER that lead to a difference in about 20% of fruits with BER. This genetic component was independent of the light.

Environmental Effects on Physicochemical Compositions, Microbial Load and Heavy Metal Content of Retailed Cut Fruits in NsukkaMain Market Enugu, Nigeria

The study evaluated the environmental effects on physico-chemical compositions, microbial load and heavy metal content of cut fruits retailed in Nsukka main market. Whole fruits were procured from fruit vendors in the market. They were washed, peeled (except watermelon) and divided into three portions each and designated as PA0, PA4, PA8; PP0, PP4, PP8 and WM0, WM4, WM8 for pineapple, pawpaw and watermelon collected at 0,4,8 hours respectively. A portion from each fruit was picked at three different times (8 am, 12 noon and 4 pm designated as 0, 4, 8 hour) and were analyzed for physicochemical (proximate, pH, titratable acidity, °Brix value, vitamin content) properties, microbial (total viable, mold and coliform count) load and heavy metal (lead, cadmium and nickel) content. The proximate analysis showed that all the fruit collected at 8 am had the highest moisture content (78.83% - 93.29 %) and gradually decreased at 12 noon and 4 pm. There were significant (p<0.05) differences only in carbohydrate 25023.content and energy value for proximate parameters. The pH, brix and vitamins all showed significant differences in all fruits and at different collection time. The pH for pawpaw and watermelon increased with increase in exposure time while °Brix value and vitamins significantly (p<0.05) decreased. Microbial analysis indicated the presence of microbes in all fruits with total viable count range of 0.83× 103 – 2.9 × 103 CFU/g. The result of cadmium and nickel detected ranged from 0.015 – 0.08 mg/kg and 0.103 – 0.82 mg/kg respectively. This study showed that cutting and exposing of fruits affected their proximate, pH, °Brix value, vitamins, microbial load and heavy metal accumulation.