Incidence and type of cracking in sweet cherry ( Prunus avium L.) are affected by genotype and season (original) (raw)
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An Alternative View of Rain-Induced Cracking of Sweet Cherries (Prunus Avium L.)
Acta Horticulturae, 2014
Fruit cracking in sweet cherries is unpredictable and is an economically significant problem for growers worldwide. The need for adequate management strategies based on informed risk assessment is clearly evident. Recent resultss from a University of Tasmania project have broadened the understanding of this fruit cracking phenomenon through a number of novel findings. It was discovered that two water uptake pathways result in cherry fruit cracking, and that each pathway results in particular crack types. Current management strategies for fruit cracking focus on water uptake across the fruit skin. Results from this study show that the development of apical and stem end cracks are induced by skin surface wetting, while deep cracks on the side of the fruit are induced by water moving via the vascular system. This new knowledge provides the basis for developing more effective management strategies. The project has further identified that the extent and type of fruit cracking are impacted by variety, season, and crop load. Nine varieties were monitored over four years and it was established that each variety had a particular tendency for crack type. Crop load was negatively correlated with fruit cracking. In addition, the amount or distribution of rainfall in the weeks prior to harvest did not significantly affect cracking incidence, yet season was highly influential, suggesting more than a direct rainfall effect. There are also strong indications that diurnal rhythms, and ambient environmental conditions, play a role in the development of cracking. These findings are important for the development of future cherry fruit cracking management strategies, which may need to be variety specific and encompass whole tree water relations based on the different mechanisms of cracking.
Rain-induced fruit cracking in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) cultivars
HortFlora Research Spectrum, 2014
Survey of cherry orchards in Srinagar and Shopion districts of Kashmir revealed that rain-induced fruit cracking varied with cultivars and Misri recorded highest loss (>50%) of fruit due to cracking followed by Awal Number, Double and Makhmali. The relative susceptibility of different cultivars has also been confirmed in the laboratory by dipping of ripened fruits in water for 48 hours. To test the efficiency of certain chemicals in reducing the rain-induced fruit cracking in sweet cherries ripened fruits were dipped in aqueous solutions of CaCl2 (0.5 and 1.0%), NAA (10 and 20 ppm) and GA3 (25 and 50 ppm) for a period of 48 hours at room temperature and cracking of fruits was observed accordingly. Distilled water without any chemical was served as control. Cultivars responded differently to various chemical treatments. GA3 (50-100 ppm) was found most effective in controlling the rain-induced fruit cracking in Awal Number, while as CaCl2 at 1.0% gave better results with Makhmali, ...
Crop load manipulation and fruit cracking in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.)
Advances in horticultural science, 2012
Yield loss from rain-induced fruit cracking is a perpetual risk associated with the production of sweet cherries, and is difficult to manage due to the unpredictability of fruit responses to late season rainfall. The aim of this five-year study was to investigate the relationship between fruit crop load and incidence of cracking. The results showed a negative correlation between crop load and incidence of fruit cracking, and it was found in both natural and manipulated crop load trials for all varieties studied and in all seasons assessed. The effect of crop load on final cracking levels are deter- mined post cell division. Results from this study showed that fruit width was positively correlated with cuticular cracking but, contrary to what has been purported in literature, no relationship between concentration of soluble sugars or firmness with the incidence of cracking was found. This study has confirmed that crop load should be a major consideration in orchard practices in devel...
Susceptibility of Sweet Cherry Cultivars to Rain Induced Fruit Cracking in the Region of Sarajevo
АГРОЗНАЊЕ, 2013
Susceptibility of 5 sweet cherry cultivars, grafted on Gisela 5, to rain induced fruit cracking was studied in the region of Sarajevo, during a two-year period (2010-2011). Testing of fruit cracking was done using index by Christensen. During the testing period, significant differences in susceptibility to fruit cracking among both the cultivars and the years of testing were found. All the cultivars had the highest fruit cracking index in 2010 year. The highest susceptibility to rain induced fruit cracking was evidenced in cultivar 'Burlat' during both years. Cultivars 'Kordia', 'Regina', 'Karina' and 'Schneider's Spӓte Knorpelkirsche' were moderately susceptible to fruit cracking.
Cracking in Sweet Cherry Cultivars Early Bigi and Lapins: Correlation with Quality Attributes
2020
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 w...
Assessment of Susceptibility and Prevention of Cracking of 'Skeena' Sweet Cherry
Acta Horticulturae, 2015
Cracking in cherries can lead to a dramatic economic loss, depending on market conditions at time of harvest. To get a better understanding of this phenomenon, two experiments on the cherry cultivar 'Skeena' were set up in Washington State, USA in 2011. In two different locations, cracking susceptibility development of fruit during maturation, as well as influence of gibberellic acid (GA) and a rain-repellent material, RainGard (RG), on maturity and storability were investigated. To determine cracking susceptibility, samples were taken weekly, starting four weeks before harvest. Fruit diameter, weight, and calculated cracking index (CI) showed block-by-block variations. In one site, an exponentially increasing CI was observed with increasing fruit weight, while in the second site fruit weight remained constant and CI decreased seven days before harvest. Different cracking expression between sites was related to precipitation levels, irrigation and fruit growth rates. GA (10 ppm once or twice, 20 ppm once) and RG (7.58 L/ha) were applied separately or in combination starting three weeks before estimated harvest. A significant decrease in postharvest fruit pitting was observed in both sites for GA treated fruit. A general observation was a delay of fruit color development, increase of soluble solids and decrease of acids. Fruit firmness was improved by GA at both sites. Neither RG nor GA reduced cracking susceptibility in our trials.
Rain Cracking in Sweet Cherries is not Due to Excess Water Uptake but to Localized Skin Phenomena
Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science
Rain cracking of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) fruit is commonly thought to result from excessive net water uptake. This excess increases flesh turgor, which then strains and eventually ruptures the skin at the weakest point. This idea—the critical turgor hypothesis—assumes the fruit comprises a semifluid flesh, held under pressure by a taut skin. The objectives of this study were to test the validity of this popular hypothesis. We investigated the effects of 1) the different pathways of water uptake and 2) the fruit’s water balance on cracking. Incubating fruit of 19 cultivars in water resulted in rapid fruit cracking. The time to 50% cracking (T50) averaged 7.5 ± 1.3 hours with considerable variability between cultivars (T50 range from 1.5 to 18.6 hours). The amount of water taken up at 50% cracking (WU50) averaged 96.5 ± 17.6 mg (WU50 range from 17.7 to 331.5 mg). There was no correlation between either the T50 or the WU50, and the rate of water uptake. Also, there was no correl...
The tolerance to cracking of early ripening sweet cherry hybrids
Acta Horticulturae, 2020
Rain-induced cracking is a major problem in many cherry growing regions of the world. Even in drier growing areas, it can be a major problem in occasional years. Cracking occurs during or after rainfall and usually shortly before harvest. The rain induced fruit cracking is a big, serious and costly problem for cherry growers. In some years and with some cultivars the problem is extremely severe, with up to 90% of the fruits. However, ıt has been shown that as little as 25% cracked fruit can render harvesting uneconomic on account of the escalating cost of harvesting and handling of the fruit (Looney, 1985) Furthermore, after rainfall, even the uncracked fruit has much decreased storage quality, despite its macroscopically intact surface (Børve et al., 2000), Therefore, it is one of the main goals for breeders to develop a cultivar of tolerances to rain cracking. In this study, The cracking index of 15 early maturing genotypes from different parents were determined. Susceptibility to fruit cracking i.e. fruit cracking index was determined by the method of Christensen (1996). Crack index values and rankings of genotypes have changed according to years. None of the genotypes were in the low sensitive group. Cracking indexes of genotypes ranged from 16.0 to 66.5.
Mechanical Properties of Skins of Sweet Cherry Fruit of Differing Susceptibilities to Cracking
Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science
Rain cracking of sweet cherry fruit (Prunus avium L.) may be the result of excessive water uptake and/or of mechanically weak skins. The objectives were to compare mechanical properties of the skins of two cultivars of contrasting cracking susceptibility using biaxial tensile tests. We chose ‘Regina’ as the less-susceptible and ‘Burlat’ as the more-susceptible cultivar. Cracking assays confirmed that cracking was less rapid and occurred at higher water uptake in ‘Regina’ than in ‘Burlat’. Biaxial tensile tests revealed that ‘Regina’ skin was stiffer as indexed by a higher modulus of elasticity (E) and had a higher pressure at fracture () than ‘Burlat’. There was little difference in their fracture strains. Repeated loading, holding, and unloading cycles of the fruit skin resulted in corresponding changes in strains. Plotting total strains against the pressure applied for ascending, constant, and descending pressures yielded essentially linear relationships between strain and pressur...
Acta Horticulturae, 2017
Sweet cherry is a high value crop where quality attracts a significant premium. Key quality attributes are size, firmness, colour and sugar content as well as lack of physical defects such as cracking, pitting or bruising. The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of crop load and timing of crop load regulation on 'Van' and 'Sweetheart' fruit quality. In the 2010/11 season trees on F12-1 rootstocks trained to the KGB system were thinned to 1, 2 or 4 buds spur-1 at pre-bloom, full bloom (FB), 2, 4 or 6 weeks after full bloom (WAFB). Fruit diameter was significantly lower in the 4 buds spur-1 treatment (around 26-28 mm) relative to other treatments (around 28-31 mm) in 'Van' at all thinning times with the earliest thinning treatments being the most effective. In contrast, 'Sweetheart' fruit diameter was only significantly lower in the 4 buds spur-1 treatment (26-27 mm) relative to other treatments (27.5-29 mm) at the later thinning times of 6 and 8 WAFB. Fruit soluble solids generally mirrored these trends. Flesh firmness was higher in lower crop loads in 'Van' and was consistent with time after FB. In 'Sweetheart' firmness was higher in the 1 bud spur-1 treatment only and decreased when thinning occurred 6 and 8 WAFB. Exocarp colour was unaffected by crop load or timing of thinning. Incidence of rain-induced fruit cracking was inversely proportional to crop load being around 60, 40 and 20-30% in the 1, 2 and 4 buds spur-1 treatments, respectively. Crop load targets for optimal fruit yield-quality relationships appear to be around 20 t ha-1 , though this will carry a greater risk of fruit cracking than higher crop loads.