The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pre-harvest gibberellic acid (GA3) and calcium chloride (CaCl2) and post-harvest modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) applications on fruit quality of sweet cherry during the cold storage. At the end of the cold storage, GA3+CaCl2 applications in MAP-applied fruit and CaCl2 in non-MAP-applied fruit significantly delayed weight loss compared to the control. During the cold storage, the decay of CaCl2-applied fruit has not been observed. At the end of cold storage, the a* and firmness values of the fruit treated with GA3 and CaCl2 were significantly higher than the control. The CaCl2-applied fruit had less soluble solids than the control, but they had significantly higher acidity compared to other applications. In MAP, GA3- and CaCl2-applied fruit had higher vitamin C and antioxidant activity values than the control fruit, but their total phenolics were higher. However, the total flavonoids of CaCl2-applied fruit were higher than the control. On fruit in non-MAP, with GA3 application, less anthocyanin was obtained compared to the control. As a result, GA3-treated fruit had a relatively lower bioactive compound content compared to the fruit of the CaCl2 and control applications both during the harvest and the cold storage. However, it has been revealed that GA3 and CaCl2 applications can be used as significant pre-harvest tools to delay the loss of the fruit firmness.

Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) (Sapinadeae) fruit, a nutritional staple in Hawaii, exhibits desiccation and physiological browning soon after harvest, and methods to prolong shelf life may be commercially advantageous. In this study, freshly harvested fruit were treated with pectin coatings with or without trans-cinnamaldehyde (TCIN) and stored at 10 °C or 20 °C (room temperature) to evaluate postharvest quality attributes. Control fruit were treated with deionized water only. To find the best formulation of the coatings, three concentrations of TCIN were incorporated into a pectin solution to get 0.05% TCIN, 0.1% TCIN, and 0.2% TCIN coatings. At 0, 2, 4, and 6 days postharvest, fruit stored at 20 °C were evaluated for weight loss, firmness, pericarp browning, sugar, acid, and taste. The results showed that the 0.1% TCIN coating exhibited significantly lower weight loss than both control and the 0.2% TCIN coating through the entire storage time at 20 °C. The 0.1% TCIN coating–treated fruit were significantly firmer than control after 4 days of storage at 20 °C. The 0.1% TCIN coating also significantly reduced the pericarp browning over the control. Therefore, we selected 0.1% TCIN coating for fruit storage at 10 °C for up to 15 days. At 10 °C, the control fruit showed significantly higher pericarp browning than all TCIN-containing coated fruit. The 0.1% TCIN-treated fruit showed a significantly higher overall quality value than control fruit. The results indicate that the 0.1% TCIN coating may extend the commercial shelf life of rambutans and other perishable fruits. By extending shelf life, this coating can reduce postharvest losses and facilitate expanded fruit exports in Hawaii.

Tephritid fruit flies are internationally significant pests of horticulture. Because they are also highly invasive and of major quarantine concern, significant effort is placed in developing full or partial pest risk assessments (PRAs) for fruit flies, while large investments can be made for their control. Competition between fruit fly species, driven by the need to access and utilise fruit for larval development, has long been recognised by researchers as a fundamental component of fruit fly biology, but is entirely absent from the fruit fly PRA literature and appears not be considered in major initiative planning. First presenting a summary of the research data which documents fruit fly competition, this paper then identifies four major effects of fruit fly competition that could impact a PRA or large-scale initiative: (i) numerical reduction of an existing fruit fly pest species following competitive displacement by an invasive fruit fly; (ii) displacement of a less competitive fruit fly pest species in space, time or host; (iii) ecological resistance to fruit fly invasion in regions already with competitively dominant fruit fly species; and (iv) lesser-pest fruit fly resurgence following control of a competitively superior species. From these four major topics, six more detailed issues are identified, with each of these illustrated by hypothetical, but realistic biosecurity scenarios from Australia/New Zealand and Europe. The scenarios identify that the effects of fruit fly competition might both positively or negatively affect the predicted impacts of an invasive fruit fly or targeted fruit fly control initiative. Competition as a modifier of fruit fly risk needs to be recognised by policy makers and incorporated into fruit fly PRAs and major investment initiatives.

Poor tree nutrient management significantly reduce productivity and quality of citrus fruit. Hence in three separate experiments, exogenous supplemental application of 0.5 mL L⁻¹ ‘Primo’ (Ascophylum nodosum seaweed extract + amino acid and) + 0.01% ‘Tween 20′) was sprayed on citrus cvs. ‘Kinnow’, ‘Feutrell's Early’ mandarins and ‘Blood Red’ orange trees. Trees were sprayed at full bloom (T2), fruit setting (T3), full bloom + fruit setting (T4), or full bloom + fruit setting + premature (T5) stages at a same concentration. Unsprayed trees of each cvs. were kept as control (T1). In contrast to untreated control trees, the application of 0.05% Primo at full bloom + fruit setting stage caused significant increase in leaf N (28%), K (36%), Mn (24.4%), Zn (15.8%), tree height (28.5%), fruit weight tree⁻¹ (42.6%), fruits tree⁻¹ (28.6%), marketable fruit (9%), fruit size (11.5%), SSC (16%), SSC:TA ratio (26.8%), reducing sugars (37.5%), ascorbic acid (21.8%) and total phenolic contents (42%) in ‘Kinnow’ mandarins. Likewise, sprayed trees of ‘Feutrell's Early’ in T₄ exhibits higher leaf N (27%), Fe (11.9%), Zn (26.4%), fruit weight tree⁻¹ (28.5%), fruits tree⁻¹ (40%), marketable fruit (12.7%), fruit size (15.9%), juice weight percentage (17.6%), taste (23%), SSC (15.7%) and total sugars (42%). Whereas, in case of ‘Blood Red’ oranges, same treatment (T4) resulted in highest level of leaf N (50%), Fe (15%), tree height (37%), leaf size (38.8%), fruit weight tree⁻¹ (42%), number of fruits tree⁻¹ (45%), marketable fruit (8%), juice weight percentage (15.6%), SSC (19%), SSC:TA ratio (43.8%), reducing sugars (45%) and total phenolic contents (28%) than control. In addition, reduction in fruit drop, peel thickness and TA were also observed in treated trees of all cvs. as compared to untreated control. In conclusion, supplemental application of 0.5 mL L⁻¹ ‘Primo’ at full bloom + fruit setting stages improved vegetative growth, productivity and quality of ‘Kinnow’, ‘Feutrell's Early’ and ‘Blood Red’ fruits.

This study aimed to obtain basic data on high-quality fruit production and efficient cultivation of persimmon cultivar “Godongsi”. In the second year of pruning, the number of fruits per tree according to the number of fruit-bearing mother shoots (300, 400, 500, and 700 [control] treatments) was 676.3, 786.0, 866.7, and 1238.7, respectively. Persimmon cultivar “Godongsi” had a decrease in number of fruits per tree and increase in fruit weight as the pruning intensity increased. The average fruit weight in the 300 treatment group was 212.2 g, which was 1.5 times heavier than that in the control. For a high-quality dried persimmon processing, the rate of grade L fruits (170 g<ｘ≤200 g) and over according to the number of fruit-bearing mother shoots was 86.9%, 48.6%, 33.5%, and 8.1%, respectively. The fruit grade of the pruned treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control. Based on the selling price of dried persimmon, the production amount was significantly higher in the 300 treatment than that in the control. When there were many fruits per tree, there was a decrease in quality and increase in cost of harvesting and processing. In conclusion, pruning is essential to increase the fruit quality (fruit weight and grade) of persimmon cultivar “Godongsi”. Moreover, the suitable number of fruit-bearing mother shoots was 300.

The effects of preharvest calcium chloride (CaCl2) treatment on some quality characteristics and bioactive compounds of sweet cherry fruit (Prunus avium L. cvs. 0900 Ziraat, Sweetheart and Merton Late) were investigated. The CaCl2 (1%) solution was sprayed to the cherry trees at 21 and 35 days after full bloom stage. The trees served as control were treated with distilled water at the same days. CaCl2 treatment remarkably suppressed the respiration rate and increased titratable acidity and fruit firmness of cherries. Treated fruit had more attractive skin colour with higher h° and L* values compared to control. The individual soluble sugars and total sugar contents of CaCl2 treated cherries were lower than those of control fruit. The accumulation of ascorbic acid, stem chlorophyll, total phenolics and anthocyanin contents of fruit were delayed by CaCl2 treatment in all varieties. The antioxidant activities of all treated varieties were lower than those of control fruit. Based on these results, it can be set forth that preharvest CaCl2 treatment suppressed ripening processes including respiration rate and maintained firmness and titratable acidity of cherries by maintaining cell integrity in all varieties during the fruit development period.

Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.), one of the most economically important fruits widely consumed worldwide, has been suffering from apple ring rot caused by Botryosphaeria dothidea, which dramatically affects its quality and yield. In the present study, we demonstrated that Pseudomonas protegens, isolated from Chinese leek (Allium tuberosum), significantly suppressed the mycelial growth and propagation of B. dothidea, respectively, further displayed a considerably inhibitory effect on the apple ring rot of postharvest fruits. In addition, P. protegens significantly improved the total soluble solid/titrable acidity (TSS/TA) ratio and soluble sugar/titrable acidity (SS/TA) ratio and drastically maintained the fruit firmness. Further analysis manifested that P. protegens substantially induced the defense-related genes such as MdGLU, MdPAL, MdPOD, MdCAL, and transcription factors related to the resistance to B. dothidea, including MdWRKY15, MdPUB29, MdMyb73, and MdERF11 in apple fruits. Meanwhile, P. protegens considerably restrained the expressions of the pathogenicity-related genes in B. dothidea, including the BdCYP450, BdADH, BdGHY, BdATS, Bdα/β-HY, and BdSTR. By inference, P. protegens inhibited the apple ring rot on postharvest fruits by activating the defense system of apple fruit and repressing the pathogenic factor of B. dothidea. The study provided a theoretical basis and a potential alternative to manage the apple ring rot on postharvest fruits.

Papaya (Carica papaya) is essential produce specifically in tropical countries due to its rich nutritional and economic benefits, excellent flavours, drug development and industrial processing. This had become a vital source of income for the papaya growing countries by exporting the fresh fruit and processed products in the countries where the demand for tropical fruit is high. However, this climacteric fruit can deteriorate at a higher rate due to severe infections caused by various pathogens that grow at the fruit epiphytically and endophytically during postharvest handling. These postharvest decays are irreversible and cause significant changes in the overall fruit quality and increase the rates of losses during the postharvest chain in the papaya-producing countries including Malaysia. With a better understanding of the causal agents, subsequent control of papaya fruit is applied to delay the disease establishment by different methods. For example, chemical control involved the utilisation of chemicals to disrupt the growth and development of the fungus, while physical control utilises manual alteration on the fruit surrounding for sterilization and delaying the ripening process. Whereas, biological control relied on the naturally found product which can combat the fungal invasion via competition for nutrients, creating protective barriers, induction of PR proteins and resistance. Since synthetic fungicide had been known to have various drawbacks to human health and the environment, many safe and cost-effective alternatives are introduced. However, some of the promising alternatives are only available during the laboratory stage and indicate their potential to be used on-field by optimization and development of novel and safe products. Therefore, this article reviewed different postharvest control strategies that had successfully controlled or could control the growth of the pathogens of papaya, along with their impacts on the fruit quality based on the literature available currently.