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Pomegranate Quality from Consumers’ Perspective: Drivers of Liking, Preference Patterns, and the Relation between Sensory and Physico-Chemical Properties
Full text linkAcquiring information on consumer preferences for the sensory properties of pomegranates
is a cue for breeding programmes to set their quality targets and promote the consumption of
this particularly healthy fruit. In this study, a total of 12 pomegranate varieties were evaluated,
including commercial (Valenciana, Illina, Tastem, Rugalate,Wonderful, Mollar 49 y Mollar 45) and
new varieties (Ref 102, Ref 383, H3/27, and D27/12). For the first time, consumers not only scored
their acceptance of different pomegranate varieties but also described their sensory properties using
CATA questions. This approach allowed us to identify the main drivers of liking, preference patterns,
and the relationship between sensory and physico-chemical properties. Of all the sensory attributes,
acidity intensity was revealed as the main driver of liking/disliking, and two different consumer
preference patterns were identified: ‘low acid pomegranate lovers’ and ‘acid pomegranate lovers’.
Seed properties like the intensity of woody flavour and seed/aril ratio were also key drivers for
preferences. A relationship between sensory and physico-chemical properties was also established.
Interestingly, sweetness perception correlated more strongly with low titratable acidity levels than
with high total soluble solids levels, corroborating that acidity level is a key measurement for quality
assessments. ‘H3/27’ was the most promising of the new varieties for having the well-appreciated
internal properties of the ‘Mollar’ varieties and external and internal red colouration, which makes
it much more appealing to consumers. This study shows that there is still room on the market for
pomegranate varieties with very different sensory properties and highlights the need to develop
sensory labels that help consumers make the right choices
Honeydew management to promote biological control
No full textHoneydew is the excretion of plant-feeding hemipterans and it is one of the most abundant source of carbohydrates for parasitoids and predators in agroecosystems. Being so abundant, honeydew mediates direct and indirect interactions that affect biological control. We describe these interactions and identify honeydew-management strategies to reduce pest pressure. First, the presence of nondamaging honeydew producers in cover crops and hedges increases the efficacy of parasitoids and predators. Second, breaking the mutualism between ants and honeydew-producing pests with alternative sugar sources promotes biological control of these pests. Third, we propose to explore honeydew volatiles to attract biological control agents and repel pests, as well as to induce plant defenses. Finally, we urge reducing the use of systemic pesticides that contaminate honeydew and negatively affect biological control agents that feed on it. Overall, we propose that honeydew management is integrated in pest management programs to contribute to sustainable agriculture
Predicting Risk of Ammonia Exposure in Broiler Housing: Correlation with Incidence of Health Issues
Full text linkThis study assesses the risk of ammonia exposure in broiler chicken production and correlates these risks with health issues, utilizing machine learning techniques. Two broiler breeds, fast-growing (Ross®, 42 days) and slow growing (Hubbard®, 63 days), were studied at different densities. Slow-growing birds had a fixed density of 32 kg/m2, while fast-growing ones were housed at low (16 kg/m2) and high (32 kg/m2) densities. The high concentration of atmospheric ammonia has been associated with a greater occurrence of bird health problems, such as pododermatitis, visual impairment and mucosal lesions compared to birds stocked in controlled environments with low concentrations of atmospheric ammonia. A total of 1250 birds were used, and classification algorithms (decision tree, SMO, Naive Bayes, and Multilayer Perceptron) were applied to predict ammonia risk levels. The analysis involved data selection, pre-processing, transformation, mining, and interpretation of results. The Multilayer Perceptron proved the most effective in predicting exposure risk. The Spearman’s correlation coefficient indicated a strong correlation between high ammonia concentrations and higher incidences of injuries in the birds that were evaluated. This research highlights the importance of managing ammonia levels in broiler production to mitigate health risks for both fast- and slow-growing breeds
Discovery and Transcriptional Profiling of Penicillium digitatum Genes That Could Promote Fungal Virulence during Citrus Fruit Infection
Full text linkGreen mold caused by Penicillium digitatum (Pers.:Fr.) Sacc is the most prevalent postharvest
rot concerning citrus fruits. Using the subtractive suppression hybridization (SSH) technique,
different P. digitatum genes have been identified that could be involved in virulence during citrus
infection in the early stages, a crucial moment that determines whether the infection progresses or not.
To this end, a comparison of two P. digitatum strains with high and low virulence has been carried
out. We conducted a study on the gene expression profile of the most relevant genes. The results
indicate the importance of transcription and regulation processes as well as enzymes involved in the
degradation of the plant cell wall. The most represented expressed sequence tag (EST) was identified
as PDIP_11000, associated with the FluG domain, which is putatively involved in the activation of
conidiation. It is also worth noting that PDIP_02280 encodes a pectin methyl esterase, a cell wall
remodeling protein with a high expression level in the most virulent fungal strains, which is notably
induced during citrus infection. Furthermore, within the group with the greatest representation
and showing significant induction in the early stages of infection, regulatory proteins (PDIP_68700,
PDIP_76160) and a chaperone (PDIP_38040) stand out. To a lesser extent, but not less relevant, it is
worth distinguishing different regulatory proteins and transcription factors, such as PDIP_00580,
PDIP_49640 and PDIP_78930
Antifungal edible coatings for postharvest disease control and quality maintenance of fresh fruits
No full textAlternatives to synthetic chemical fungicides are needed to reduce postharvest losses of fresh fruit caused by fungal pathogens. Among them, the development of edible coatings with antifungal activity is a technological challenge and a very active research field worldwide. The main advantage of these coatings is that they could provide a single solution for both physiological and pathological major postharvest issues
Innovative sustainable technologies to extend the shelf life of perishable mediterranean fresh fruit, vegetables, and aromatic plants and to reduce waste: the experience of PRIMA StopMedWaste project
No full textPostharvest losses of fruit, vegetables, and aromatic plants have high economic impact in the Mediterranean area and contribute to food waste. One of the United Nations Priorities, the ZeroHunger Challenge, consists of cutting food waste by half by 2030. S topMedWaste Project (2020 2024) see the interaction of 8 Research Units (UNIVPM, CUT, UNIBA, INRAT, UNITO, UE, IVIA, IKACHEM and DECCO) to join efforts to extend the shelf life of fresh fruit, vegetables, and aromatic plants by applying physical means, nat ural compounds and biocontrol agents
Covert infection with an RNA virus affects medfly fitness and the interaction with its natural parasitoid Aganaspis daci
Full text linkWith the advent of high-throughput sequencing, large sets of insect-infecting RNA viruses producing apparent asymptomatic
infections are being discovered. In the Mediterranean fruit fy (medfy) Ceratitis capitata, an agricultural key pest of a wide
range of fruits, 13 diferent RNA viruses have been described so far. Recent analysis demonstrated a wide distribution of these
viruses in diferent medfy strains collected worldwide, but little is known about the interactions between those viruses and
the medfy host. Previous studies suggested that a higher abundance of Ceratitis capitata nora virus (CcaNV) correlated with
a shorter lifespan in adults. Here, we investigated the efect of CcaNV on a broad range of parameters related to host ftness
and its interaction with other trophic levels. CcaNV purifed from a naturally infected medfy strain was added to the larval
diet. Pupal weight, adult emergence, fying ability, and longevity were monitored after oral infections. Our results revealed
detrimental efects associated with a CcaNV infection in the medfy, in terms of reduced pupal weight and reduced adult
longevity. Moreover, we tested the infuence of a CcaNV infection in medfies on the parasitism performance of Aganaspis
daci, an endoparasitoid used in biological control programs against medfies. Our results showed that A. daci progeny
increased when parasitizing on CcaNV-infected larvae. Overall, we proved that covert RNA viruses can impact the insect
ecology, directly afecting its insect host biology and indirectly infuencing multitrophic interactions
Native ants facilitate the invasion by Delottococcus aberiae in Mediterranean citrus
Full text linkThe invasive mealybug Delottococcus aberiae De Lotto (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) has become a key pest in Mediterranean citrus. This mealybug species excretes honeydew that can be consumed by ants, which may give rise to mutualistic relationships and increase the invasibility of this exotic pest. Here, we studied the interaction between D. aberiae and ants in 16 citrus orchards located in the main citrus-growing area of Spain (Valencia) during two consecutive years. Four native ant species were observed feeding on D. aberiae honeydew, and Lasius grandis Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) represented more than 95% of these ants. Lasius grandis was observed attending D. aberiae throughout the year and in all the orchard
sites where the mealybug was present. Mealybug colony size had a positive effect on both relative and absolute ant-attendance by L. grandis, but these interactions varied across seasons. Moreover, we found a positive correlation between L. grandis activity and D. aberiae density in all citrus orchards. Our results suggest that the native ant L. grandis and the invasive pest D. aberiae have established a mutualistic association that promotes the establishment and accelerate the invasion of D. aberiae in Spanish citrus orchards. Further research with the aim of evaluating whether the management of this ant species can improve the control of D. aberiae in citrus would be recommended
Strategy for Monitoring the Blast Incidence in Crops of Bomba Rice Variety Using Remote Sensing Data
Full text linkIn this paper, we investigated the monitoring and characterization of the pest Magnaporthe
oryzae, known as rice blast, in the Bomba rice variety at the Albufera Natural Park, located in Valencia,
Spain during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Using reflectance data from different Sentinel-2 satellite
bands, various vegetative indices were calculated for each year. Significant differences in reflectance
in the visible (B4), infrared (B8), red-edge (B6 and B7), and SWIR (B11) bands were detected between
healthy and unhealthy fields. Additionally, variations were observed in the vegetation indices, with
RVI and IRECI standing out for their higher accuracy in identifying blast-affected plots compared
to NDVI and NDRE. Early differences in band values, vegetative indices, and spectral signatures
were observed between the unhealthy and healthy plots, allowing for the anticipation of control
treatments, whose effectiveness relies on timely intervention
Recubrimientos comestibles y envases biodegradables como estrategias de envasado sostenibles para reducir las pérdidas de calidad de frutas y hortalizas durante postcosecha
Full text linkEl envasado sostenible forma parte del Pacto Verde Europeo y desempeña un papel clave en la estrategia social y política de la UE. En este sentido, los materiales de envasado de alimentos biodegradables y sostenibles basados en biopolímeros como proteínas, polisacáridos y biopoliesteres han ayudado a las industrias a afrontar estos desafíos. En el caso de frutas y hortalizas, las películas y recubrimientos comestibles formulados a partir de biopolímeros como proteínas y polisacáridos y otros compuestos naturales o sustancias GRAS (‘generally recognized as safe’) han cobrado mucho interés tanto a nivel científico como industrial como tecnología segura y de bajo impacto ambiental. Estos pueden proporcionar una barrera a gases y vapor de agua reduciendo la transpiración y la actividad metabólica del fruto al crear una atmósfera modificada y además permiten la incorporación de compuestos activos con capacidad antimicrobiana y/o antioxidante o incluso aromas y nutrientes que dan respuesta a otros aspectos de calidad, como alteraciones fisiológicas, atributos sensoriales y nutricionales y de seguridad alimentaria, ofreciendo nuevas oportunidades en la poscosecha de frutas y hortalizas frescas enteras y mínimamente procesadas. En este sentido, el desarrollo de recubrimientos comestibles con actividad antifúngica para frutas y hortalizas enteras a partir de biopolímeros como el quitosano o el Aloe vera, que presentan cierta capacidad antifúngica, o mediante la incorporación a las formulaciones de ingredientes con capacidad antifúngica, como pueden ser algunas sales orgánicas e inorgánicas, aceites esenciales, extractos de plantas, agentes de control biológico, etc., es una de las áreas con más interés científico en los últimos años por la necesidad de buscar alternativas a los fungicidas químicos de síntesis. De igual manera, el uso de recubrimientos comestibles para alargar la vida útil de los productos mínimamente procesados es una de las técnicas más novedosas y prometedoras. En estos productos, la mayor parte de los trabajos se han centrado en el desarrollo de recubrimientos con actividad antioxidante y/o antimicrobiana mediante la incorporación de aditivos alimentarios o diseñando envases que permiten la liberación controlada de la sustancia activa. Por otra parte, las estrategias actuales dentro de los escenarios de la economía circular están dirigiendo los estudios hacia la obtención de biopolímeros, bioplásticos funcionales y materiales avanzados obtenidos a partir de subproductos o residuos alimentarios generados en la industria agroalimentaria que permiten su aplicación en el envasado de frutas y hortalizas, contribuyendo así a la sostenibilidad de la cadena alimentaria