A study on the relationships between some fruit characteristics in cherries

Introduction. Some fruit characteristics are very important for cherry marketing. This study aimed at determining relationships between some of them to help researchers on fruit quality. Materials and methods. The relationships between fruit cracking, fruit weight and diameter, soluble solid and acidity content, and fruit stalk thickness were determined on 35 sweet cherry cultivars in Amasya in Turkey. Results and discussion. There was a positive polynomial relationship between the fruit stalk thickness and fruit cracking; between fruit weight and fruit stalk thickness; and between fruit weight and fruit firmness. There was a positive relationship between the fruit weight and the acidity content, and between the fruit firmness, acidity and soluble solid. There was a negative relationship between fruit firmness and pH. Conclusions. Some relationships between cherry characteristics exist, which may help researchers to solve some problems such as fruit cracking. These studies may contribute to producing fruit with a good quality and help to evaluate new cultivars

Reletionship between photoperiod and flowering in strawberries (Fragaria)

Çilekler fotoperiyot isteklerine göre kısa gün, uzun gün ve gün-nötr çilekleri olarak sınıflandırılırlar. Günümüz modern çilek çeşitlerinin çoğu kısa gün çeşitleridir. Ancak derim periyodunu uzatmadaki önemleri nedeniyle son yıllarda gün-nötr çeşitlerinin de ticari yetiştiricilikte kullanımı artmaya başlamıştır. Kültür çileklerinin karmaşık çiçeklenme karakterleri bunların çiçeklenme fizyolojisinin öğrenilmesini geciktirmiş, bu konu günümüzde bile halen merak edilen ve üzerinde durulan bir konu olmuştur. Kısa, uzun ve gün-nötr çileklerinin çiçeklenme fizyolojilerinin ve buna etki eden faktörlerin iyi bilinmesi bunların yetiştiriciliklerindeki başarıyı artıracak, çilek yetiştiriciliğinin gelişimine katkıda bulunacaktır.Based on photoperiodic requirements for flower induction, strawberries are classified as short-day, long-day and day-neutral. Currently, most cultivated strawberries are short-day cultivars. In recent years, utilization of day-neutral cultivars increased in commercial strawberry growing because of their importance for extending production season length. Complex flowering habits of the cultivated strawberries delayed to obtain knowledge on their flowering physiology. Some aspects of flowering physiology of strawberries still remain unclear. Therefore, even today this subject is being emphasized. Comprehensive knowledge on flowering physiology of short-day, long-day and day-neutral strawberries and factors affecting flowering physiology will increase growing achievement of them and make important contribution to the development of strawberry production

Molecular characterization of sweet cherry genetic resources in Giresun, Turkey

Introduction. Turkey potentially has a very rich source of sweet (Prunus avium) and sour (P. cerasus) cherries. P. avium is apparently native to some parts of Northern Turkey, where Giresun is located. Identification of the sweet cherry cultivars produced in Turkey will help in choosing appropriate cultivars and aid in the preservation of natural resources required for breeding studies. The most conventional method of cultivar identification is based on the assessment of morphological characteristics. However, this method is insufficient to distinguish closely related cultivars. The aims of our study were to determine the molecular profile of sweet cherry accessions grown in Giresun, Turkey, and to determine their genetic relationships. Materials and methods. In our study, we identified 44 sweet cherry accessions grown in Giresun by using genetic markers (SSR, Simple Sequence Repeat), and we determined the genetic relationships among the sweet cherry genotypes. For DNA isolation, we collected young leaves sampled on a single plant per accession, then amplification of microsatellite loci was performed. In total, ten SSR primer pairs, previously isolated from peach and sweet cherry, were used. Genetic similarity values were calculated. A cluster analysis was performed to generate a dendrogram. Results and discussion. Of the ten primers tested, six primer pairs did not result in suitable amplification products with the 44 accessions studied. The remaining four polymorphic SSR primer pairs produced 33 alleles with an average of 8.25 putative alleles per locus, ranging from 7 to 11. Depending on the accessions, similarity ratios ranged from 0.32 to 0.98, with a mean value of 0.64. In conclusion, the results obtained demonstrate a high level of polymorphism among sweet cherry genotypes from a single province in Turkey

Comparative evaluation of phenolic profile and antioxidant activity of new sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) genotypes in Turkey

Introduction Sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.), one of the most consumed fruits in the world, is rich in phenolic and especially anthocyanin content. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the phenolic properties of 11 different sweet cherry genotypes collected from Giresun, Turkey. Methods Total phenol, flavonoid, anthocyanin and antioxidant properties were observed spectrophotometrically in three different extraction (conventional, microwave-assisted and ultrasound-assisted) processes. Major phenolic, anthocyanin and antioxidant structures were visually assessed by high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). Various phenolics in its structure were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Results T2 and E5 genotypes had the highest content in terms of total phenol, flavonoid, anthocyanin and antioxidant activity. In HPTLC, cherry samples contained high levels of chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, p-coumaroylquinic acid, rutin and cyanidin-3 rutinoside. Among the phenolics examined in the LC-MS/MS method, the major compounds in the structure of cherry were found to be chlorogenic acid, rutin and catechin. The T2 genotype had higher phenolics than the other cherry samples (chlorogenic acid 19.3 mg/100 g; catechin; 3.8 mg/100 g; rutin 33.1 mg/100 g). Conclusion As a result, T2 and E5 genotypes had higher phenolic and antioxidant activity compared to other genotypes and commercial cultivars. It can be said that the antioxidant contents of these genotypes are due to the high anthocyanin amount in their structures. In addition, T2 genotype contained more major phenolics than other cherries. In the next stage, it is recommended to carry out studies on the cultivation of these two varieties

SOME QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS AND INDIVIDUAL PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS OF EUROPEAN PEAR CULTIVARS

Background: Pear fruits are an important source of secondary plant metabolites and one of the major sources of dietary phenolic compounds. Materials and Methods: The aim of this study was to determine the individual phenolic compounds and some chemical characteristics of the flesh and peel of the fruit in the four pear cultivars. The phenolic composition of these pear cultivars was determined by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). Results: The fruit flesh firmness ranged from 35.2 to 85.8 N in the pear cultivars. The soluble solids content was higher in the flesh, while titratable acidity, vitamin C, individual phenolic compounds and total phenolics were generally higher in the peel. Arbutin, chlorogenic acid and epicatechin were detected as major phenolic compounds in the peel and flesh of pear fruits. Arbutin, chlorogenic acid and epicatechin of the flesh and peel ranged from 834.8 to 937.9 mg kg-1; from 332.1 to 460.7 mg kg-1; and from 77.2 to 104.0 mg kg-1 for ‘Seckel’ pear fruits, respectively. The highest total phenolics were found to be in the peel and flesh of the ‘Flemish Beauty’ pear fruits. Conclusion: Because of the higher level of antioxidant components in the peel of pear fruits (all phenolic compounds and vitamin C) consumption of unpeeled pears, after proper washing, is recommended to maximize the dietary benefit

Improved model for the non-destructive estimation of strawberry leaf area

Introduction. Non-destructive estimation of leaf area saves time as compared with geometric measurements. For this reason, several leaf area prediction models were produced for some plant species such as grape, avocado and kiwifruit in previous studies. In this research, we attempted to offer a reliable equation that predicts strawberry leaf area non-destructively by linear measurements of leaf geometry. Materials and methods. An equation was developed by using Sweet Charlie and Camarosa strawberry cultivars and by measuring lamina width, length and leaf area. Results and discussion. It was found that the relationships between the actual leaf area and the predicted leaf area given by the equation developed were significant at a level of 0.1% and that r2 was 0.993. In addition, the model was validated by measurements of new leaf areas of seven other strawberry cultivars. Conclusions. The model developed could be used for strawberries in relevant studies