scholarly journals Effect of Corolla Slitting and Nectar Robbery by the Eastern Carpenter Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) on Fruit Quality of Vaccinium corymbosum L. (Ericales: Ericaceae)

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 718-726
Author(s):  
Sara K Tucker ◽  
Howard S Ginsberg ◽  
Steven R Alm
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Quality ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Carpenter Bee ◽  
Nectar Robbery

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 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 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 Effects of Drip Irrigation Configuration and Rate on Yield and Fruit Quality of Young Highbush Blueberry Plants

HortScience ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 414-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Ehret ◽  
Brenda Frey ◽  
Tom Forge ◽  
Tom Helmer ◽  
David R. Bryla
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Quality ◽  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Anthocyanin Content ◽  
Soil Matric Potential ◽  
Matric Potential ◽  
Total Anthocyanin ◽  
Irrigation Volume

A 4-year study was conducted to establish the effects of drip irrigation configuration and rate on fruit yield and quality of young highbush blueberry plants (Vaccinium corymbosum L. ‘Duke’). Plants were grown in a silt loam soil on raised beds and were non-irrigated or irrigated using either one or two lines of suspended drip tape. Each line configuration had in-line emitters spaced every 0.3 or 0.45 m for a total of four drip configurations. Water was applied by each drip configuration at two rates, a moderate rate of 5 L/plant per irrigation event, and a heavy rate of 10 L/plant. The frequency of irrigation was guided by measurements of soil matric potential. Irrigation was applied each year, and plants were cropped beginning the second year after planting. Rainfall was above normal in the first 2 years of the study, and differences in soil moisture were most evident in the last 2 years, in which soil matric potential increased with irrigation volume. Neither the number of irrigation lines nor emitter spacing had an effect on yield or fruit quality. Yield was unaffected by irrigation rate until the fourth year after planting and was only higher when 5 L/plant was applied. The yield increase was the result of differences in fruit weight during the second of two harvests and was associated with delays in fruit maturation. Irrigation affected plant mineral concentrations but leaves and berries responded differently; affected minerals tended to decrease in leaves but increase in the fruit. Many irrigation-induced changes in fruit quality were evident 1 or 2 years before changes in yield. Higher irrigation volume increased fruit size and water content but reduced fruit firmness and soluble solids. Irrigation reduced fruit water loss during storage and thereby promoted longer shelf life. Irrigation also resulted in a change in anthocyanin composition in the fruit but did not affect antioxidants or total anthocyanin content.

Changes in fruit quality of highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) during the ripening season

2016 ◽  
pp. 657-664 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Milivojević ◽  
D. Radivojević ◽  
M. Nikolić ◽  
J. Dragišić Maksimović
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Quality ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Highbush Blueberries
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