Cracking in Sweet Cherry Cultivars Early Bigi and Lapins: Correlation with Quality Attributes
Fruit cracking is one of the main concerns in sweet cherry production and is caused by a heavy rainfall before and during the harvest. This physiological disorder leads to severe economic losses, which can be more or less effective depending on the cracked region of the fruit: in the cheeks (side cr...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-11-01
|
| Series: | Plants |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/9/11/1557 |
| _version_ | 1797548036344250368 |
|---|---|
| author | Sandra Pereira Vânia Silva Eunice Bacelar Francisco Guedes Ana Paula Silva Carlos Ribeiro Berta Gonçalves |
| author_facet | Sandra Pereira Vânia Silva Eunice Bacelar Francisco Guedes Ana Paula Silva Carlos Ribeiro Berta Gonçalves |
| author_sort | Sandra Pereira |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Fruit cracking is one of the main concerns in sweet cherry production and is caused by a heavy rainfall before and during the harvest. This physiological disorder leads to severe economic losses, which can be more or less effective depending on the cracked region of the fruit: in the cheeks (side cracks), in the stylar scar region, or in the stem cavity region. Sweet cherry cracking can be affected by several factors such as cultivar, growing conditions, rootstock, fruit size, flesh osmotic potential, cuticular characteristics of the skin, and stage of fruit development. In this sense, the objective of this work was to evaluate the cracking incidence in two sweet cherry cultivars (Early Bigi and Lapins grafted on “Saint Lucie 64” rootstock) and correlate the cracking index with other quality parameters. Fruits were harvested on 2 May (cv. Early Bigi) and on 27 May (cv. Lapins) 2019 at their commercial ripening stage. In the field, the total yield and the trunk cross-sectional area were determined for each tree in order to calculate the yield efficiency. In the laboratory, the cracking index was determined in 150 fruits without visual defects. In addition, fruit size and weight, wax content, flesh firmness, epidermis rupture force, total soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity, and maturity index of 30 fruits were also evaluated. In general, all the analyzed quality parameters were influenced by the cultivar, being that cv. Lapins presented larger, heavier, firmer, and sweeter fruits, with more acidity and higher maturation index. However, cv. Lapins also presented higher cracking index, which was positively correlated with all the parameters above-mentioned and negatively correlated with the wax content. In fact, cv. Early Bigi presented a high wax content and simultaneously a low cracking index. The stylar scar region cracks were the most prevalent in both cultivars. These results allowed us to conclude that, in the North Portugal region, the Lapins cherries presented better quality attributes than the Early Bigi cherries. However, the latter are still very valuable to the region due to its early ripening. Additionally, it was also possible to conclude that bigger, firmer, more mature, and with lower wax content cherries were more sensitive to cracking than the smaller fruits, soft-fleshed, less mature, and with higher wax content. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:53:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-388e074835f049de8cf8ba10e33eb6ee |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:53:43Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj.art-388e074835f049de8cf8ba10e33eb6ee2023-11-20T20:46:48ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472020-11-01911155710.3390/plants9111557Cracking in Sweet Cherry Cultivars Early Bigi and Lapins: Correlation with Quality AttributesSandra Pereira0Vânia Silva1Eunice Bacelar2Francisco Guedes3Ana Paula Silva4Carlos Ribeiro5Berta Gonçalves6CITAB-Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalCITAB-Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalCITAB-Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalCermouros—Cerejas de São Martinho de Mouros, Lda, Quinta da Ribeira, Bulhos, 4660-210 Resende, PortugalCITAB-Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalDepartment of Agronomy, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalCITAB-Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalFruit cracking is one of the main concerns in sweet cherry production and is caused by a heavy rainfall before and during the harvest. This physiological disorder leads to severe economic losses, which can be more or less effective depending on the cracked region of the fruit: in the cheeks (side cracks), in the stylar scar region, or in the stem cavity region. Sweet cherry cracking can be affected by several factors such as cultivar, growing conditions, rootstock, fruit size, flesh osmotic potential, cuticular characteristics of the skin, and stage of fruit development. In this sense, the objective of this work was to evaluate the cracking incidence in two sweet cherry cultivars (Early Bigi and Lapins grafted on “Saint Lucie 64” rootstock) and correlate the cracking index with other quality parameters. Fruits were harvested on 2 May (cv. Early Bigi) and on 27 May (cv. Lapins) 2019 at their commercial ripening stage. In the field, the total yield and the trunk cross-sectional area were determined for each tree in order to calculate the yield efficiency. In the laboratory, the cracking index was determined in 150 fruits without visual defects. In addition, fruit size and weight, wax content, flesh firmness, epidermis rupture force, total soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity, and maturity index of 30 fruits were also evaluated. In general, all the analyzed quality parameters were influenced by the cultivar, being that cv. Lapins presented larger, heavier, firmer, and sweeter fruits, with more acidity and higher maturation index. However, cv. Lapins also presented higher cracking index, which was positively correlated with all the parameters above-mentioned and negatively correlated with the wax content. In fact, cv. Early Bigi presented a high wax content and simultaneously a low cracking index. The stylar scar region cracks were the most prevalent in both cultivars. These results allowed us to conclude that, in the North Portugal region, the Lapins cherries presented better quality attributes than the Early Bigi cherries. However, the latter are still very valuable to the region due to its early ripening. Additionally, it was also possible to conclude that bigger, firmer, more mature, and with lower wax content cherries were more sensitive to cracking than the smaller fruits, soft-fleshed, less mature, and with higher wax content.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/9/11/1557cracking indexfruit qualitysweet cherry fruityield efficiency |
| spellingShingle | Sandra Pereira Vânia Silva Eunice Bacelar Francisco Guedes Ana Paula Silva Carlos Ribeiro Berta Gonçalves Cracking in Sweet Cherry Cultivars Early Bigi and Lapins: Correlation with Quality Attributes Plants cracking index fruit quality sweet cherry fruit yield efficiency |
| title | Cracking in Sweet Cherry Cultivars Early Bigi and Lapins: Correlation with Quality Attributes |
| title_full | Cracking in Sweet Cherry Cultivars Early Bigi and Lapins: Correlation with Quality Attributes |
| title_fullStr | Cracking in Sweet Cherry Cultivars Early Bigi and Lapins: Correlation with Quality Attributes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cracking in Sweet Cherry Cultivars Early Bigi and Lapins: Correlation with Quality Attributes |
| title_short | Cracking in Sweet Cherry Cultivars Early Bigi and Lapins: Correlation with Quality Attributes |
| title_sort | cracking in sweet cherry cultivars early bigi and lapins correlation with quality attributes |
| topic | cracking index fruit quality sweet cherry fruit yield efficiency |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/9/11/1557 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sandrapereira crackinginsweetcherrycultivarsearlybigiandlapinscorrelationwithqualityattributes AT vaniasilva crackinginsweetcherrycultivarsearlybigiandlapinscorrelationwithqualityattributes AT eunicebacelar crackinginsweetcherrycultivarsearlybigiandlapinscorrelationwithqualityattributes AT franciscoguedes crackinginsweetcherrycultivarsearlybigiandlapinscorrelationwithqualityattributes AT anapaulasilva crackinginsweetcherrycultivarsearlybigiandlapinscorrelationwithqualityattributes AT carlosribeiro crackinginsweetcherrycultivarsearlybigiandlapinscorrelationwithqualityattributes AT bertagoncalves crackinginsweetcherrycultivarsearlybigiandlapinscorrelationwithqualityattributes |