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The Impact of Environmental Factors on the Quality of Horticultural Commodities

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A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Product Quality and Safety".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 November 2024 | Viewed by 6131

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Prof. Dr. Grzegorz Lysiak

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Department of Ornamental Plants, Dendrology and Pomology, Poznan University of Life Science, Ul. Dąbrowskiego 159, 60-594 Poznań, Poland
Interests: fruit production; fruit storage; engineering horticulture; bioactive compounds; processing; polyphenols; postharvest quality; edible flowers; anthocyanins; frost resistance; harvest date prediction; active temperatures; fruit quality; color development; orchard replantation; fertilization
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Horticultural production is placing an increasing emphasis on sustainable development and the biological balance of ecosystems. Without losing sight of this overarching goal, actions are taken to ensure that crops are characterized by parameters that define high quality. Therefore, new environmentally friendly production systems are being developed, in which the growing methods and techniques are strongly based on environmental conditions. This involves breeding new cultivars with improved resistance to adverse factors, using crop rotation to limit exposure to pathogens in soil, organic mulching, stimulating biological processes in the rhizosphere, and applying biological preparations for plant protection and nutrition to improve product quality.

Just like other food products, horticultural products offered to consumers should be of good quality and, above all, safe to eat. Each step from the field to the table must be subject to procedures that ensure that relevant quality requirements are met. Fruit, vegetables, edible flowers and other horticultural commodities must fulfil the highest quality standards, which, according to the literature, fall into three areas: sensory quality, health-promoting properties and their availability, and the increasingly important symbolic quality.

Consumer choices are dictated by the appearance, taste, nutritional attributes, safety and often environmental considerations regarding production.

Aside from the growing method, pruning, pollination, protection and fertilization, product quality is affected by environmental conditions, the most notable of which include all macro- and microclimatic elements and soil environment. Among these conditions is air temperature, which affects physiological processes by slowing them down when above 35 °C and causes physiological disorders or damage to plants when below 0 °C. Similarly important are precipitation, sun radiation and wind conditions. These factors play a significant role in shaping the quality of fruit intended for fresh consumption, processing or therapeutic purposes as a source of bioactive compounds during the growth period.

Prof. Dr. Grzegorz Lysiak
Guest Editor

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Keywords

biotic and abiotic stress
climate change
total soluble solids
internal quality
nutrition
bioactive compounds
production systems
fruit and vegetable production systems

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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16 pages, 960 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential of Selected Species of Spiraea L. for Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals from Soils of Urban Areas

by Wojciech Antkowiak, Maciej Bosiacki and Mateusz Sowelo

Agriculture 2024, 14(11), 1916; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14111916 - 29 Oct 2024

Viewed by 270

Abstract

Four taxa of Spiraea were selected for this study: S. × cinerea Zabel ‘Grefsheim’, S. nipponica Maxim. ‘Snowmound’, S. splendens É. N. Baumann ex K. Koch and S. × vanhouttei (Briot) Carrière growing for a minimum of 5 years along heavily trafficked traffic routes. This study included the genus Spiraea due to its popularity in horticultural practice (commercial availability, widespread in urban environments). In addition, the use of ornamental shrubs for phytoremediation in urban green spaces effectively combines the aesthetic needs of residents with those of caring for the urban environment. This study was conducted in Poznań (population 550,000, the fifth largest city in Poland). Soils and foliage were examined in spring and autumn. Soil pH and specific electrolytic conductivity (EC) were determined. The content of micronutrients (Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn) and toxic heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Pb) in soil dry matter and leaves was determined. The uptake capacity of bioavailable forms of heavy metals by Spiraea from the soil was analyzed by determining the bioconcentration factor (BCF). It was found that the studied taxa meet the basic requirements for plants used for soil phytoremediation processes, especially for chromium phytoextraction. The degree of salinity of the tested soils did not pose a threat to the shrubs growing there, and most of the sites, despite the alkaline reaction, are suitable for their cultivation. S. × cinerea and S. × vanhouttei have BCFs for lead <1. The remaining taxa are characterized by strong concentrations of all analyzed elements. A particularly high BCF, above 10, was recorded for chromium and high for manganese and nickel. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Environmental Factors on the Quality of Horticultural Commodities)

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17 pages, 8225 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Increasing Productivity and Fruit Quality of ‘Mutsu’ Apple Orchard by Dwarfing Treatments

by Maria Małachowska, Tomasz Majak, Tomasz Krupa and Kazimierz Tomala

Agriculture 2024, 14(10), 1838; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14101838 - 18 Oct 2024

Viewed by 391

Abstract

The aim of this 2022 study was to evaluate the effect of tree growth-limiting treatments on the tree yield and quality of ‘Mutsu’ apples. The experiment was established on 7-year-old trees on M.9 rootstock in a commercial orchard in Wilga near Warsaw. Growth-limiting treatments included unilateral root pruning, spraying the trees with Regalis Plus 10 WG at various times, and spraying with Flordimex 480 SL. Eight combinations were used, with four replicates of 20 trees per repetition. The measurements included fruit set, length of this year’s shoots, yield per tree, average fruit weight, and the size structure of the yield. The distinctive physiological status of the apples was assessed directly after harvest, directly after 8 months of storage under CA conditions (1.5% CO₂, 1.5% O₂, 1 °C, >92% RH) and after an additional 7 days of shelf-life. Spraying trees with Regalis Plus 10 WG from the balloon stage onwards, irrespective of the treatment with root pruning, was most effective in both inhibiting long-stem growth and increasing tree yield (by almost two times) by increasing the number of apples per tree. The growth response of long-stemmed apple trees to both unilateral root pruning and Ethephon spray was significantly lower than it was to Regalis Plus 10 WG spray and had relatively little effect on their yield. Regalis Plus 10 WG resulted in a clear reduction in average fruit weight (by about 100 g), which, in the case of the large-fruited cultivar ‘Mutsu’, should be seen as an advantage. Its application from the balloon stage onwards promoted higher apple firmness at harvest and after simulated handling preceded by long-term storage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Environmental Factors on the Quality of Horticultural Commodities)

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13 pages, 840 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of the Antioxidative Properties of Extracts from the Fruits of Pyrus pyraster (L.) Burgsd and Pyrus ×myloslavensis Czarna & Antkowiak Grown under Natural Environmental Conditions

by Marzanna Hęś, Wojciech Antkowiak, Kinga Stuper-Szablewska, Krzysztof Dziedzic, Marta Jessa and Paulina Ratajczak

Agriculture 2024, 14(10), 1790; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14101790 - 12 Oct 2024

Viewed by 347

Abstract

Analyses were conducted on extracts from the fruits of P. pyraster and P. ×myloslavensis. Extraction with 80% methanol was performed at room temperature. The total phenolic content was determined by spectrophotometry using the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent, with gallic acid as the reference standard. Phenolic compounds and organic acids were identified on a liquid chromatograph. The antioxidative activity of the extracts was tested in relation to linoleic acid incubation of the emulsions for 19 h based on the neutralization of the DPPH radical (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and the ABTS cation radical (2,2′-azino-bis[3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid]) as well as by the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. The analyses showed that the extract from P. pyraster fruits is characterized by a higher content of phenolic compounds and a higher antioxidative potential compared with that from P. ×myloslavensis. In extracts of both pear species, seven phenolic compounds and four organic acids were identified. The total fiber content in pears of P. pyraster and P. ×myloslavensis was determined at 36.45 g and 24.74 g/100 g d.m. of the pear fruits, of which most comprised the insoluble fraction (32.49 g and 20.86/100 g, respectively). The results of the conducted research are highly significant, as they confirm that pears contain many valuable nutrients and biologically active compounds, including antioxidants and dietary fiber. Adding pear extracts to food products may offer a way to boost their health benefits while also broadening the variety of items that have appealing sensory characteristics. Moreover, research has shown that fruit extracts can help to prolong the shelf life of food products by safeguarding them against lipid oxidation and the decline in their nutritional value. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Environmental Factors on the Quality of Horticultural Commodities)

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11 pages, 665 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Impact of Treatments Stimulating Branching on the Quality of Maiden Apple Trees

by Magdalena Kapłan, Kamila E. Klimek and Kamil Buczyński

Agriculture 2024, 14(10), 1757; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14101757 - 5 Oct 2024

Viewed by 423

Abstract

Nursery material intended for establishing intensive apple orchards should be characterised by a dominant and straight leader with an appropriate number of shoots that develop at the right height and are regularly spaced along the leader. The use of well-branched trees can lead to fruiting in the first year after planting. However, many apple varieties have difficulty forming lateral shoots due to strong apical dominance. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of treatments stimulating the branching of maiden apple trees of the ‘Gloster’ variety. The research was carried out in 2017–2019 at a private nursery farm located in eastern Poland. The studied trees were subjected to a mechanical branching stimulation treatment, which consisted of pinching off 4–5 of the youngest leaves located below the growth cone, and chemical branching stimulation treatments, which consisted of applying growth regulator mixtures in the form of an aqueous solution, i.e., BA+GA₃ and BA+GA₄₊₇. The conducted studies showed that the type of branching-stimulating treatment had a significant effect on the height and trunk diameter of the maiden trees, the number of lateral shoots, the average length of one shoot and the sum of the lengths of all sylleptic shoots. The maiden trees treated with BA+GA₃ were characterised by the best quality among the analysed combinations. Maiden apple trees treated with BA+GA₃ were the tallest (2017—167.7 cm; 2018—175.3 cm; 2019—164.4 cm), produced the largest number of shoots (2017—6.5 pcs; 2018—6.8 pcs; 2019—6.3 pcs) and had the largest sum of lateral shoot lengths (2017—148.0 cm; 2018—155.4 cm; 2019—140.6 cm) among the evaluated combinations. The number of treatments and the concentration of applied growth regulators had a significant effect on the structure of the crown of the maiden apple trees of the ‘Gloster’ cultivar. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Environmental Factors on the Quality of Horticultural Commodities)

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17 pages, 778 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Biostimulants and Microbiological Preparations on the Yield and the Occurrence of Diseases and the European Corn Borer (Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn, Lepidoptera, Crambidae) on Sweet Corn (Zea mays L. Var. saccharata)

by Elżbieta Wojciechowicz-Żytko, Edward Kunicki and Jacek Nawrocki

Agriculture 2024, 14(10), 1754; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14101754 - 4 Oct 2024

Viewed by 535

Abstract

The aim of this work was to determine the influence of chosen biostimulants and microbiological preparations on the yield of sweet corn and the occurrence of Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn, and diseases. In both years of the study, the preparations used in this experiment did not have a statistically significant effect on marketable yield; however, in 2017, the highest weight was observed in the cobs of plants treated with Rizocore and Polyversum WP while the lowest in the cobs treated with RhizoVital 42. The biostimulant Asahi SL and the biological fungicide Serenade ASO proved to be the most effective in protecting sweet corn against cob and shoot infections by fungi of the genus Fusarium. All the preparations reduced the development of the common smut in corn, especially on the cobs. There were no statistically significant differences in cob infection by the O. nubilalis in the combinations treated with different preparations, although the lowest number of cobs damaged by pest in both years were observed on plots treated with Serenade ASO and RhizoVital 42, while the highest on plots treated with Goëmar BM. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Environmental Factors on the Quality of Horticultural Commodities)

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10 pages, 407 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Chosen Biostimulants on the Yield of White Cabbage

by Edward Kunicki, Ewa Capecka and Elżbieta Wojciechowicz-Żytko

Agriculture 2024, 14(10), 1700; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14101700 - 28 Sep 2024

Viewed by 576

Abstract

An open-field study evaluated the effects of four biostimulants (Asahi, Optysil, Optycal, and Tytanit) on the yield and chemical composition of two white cabbage cultivars (‘Caraflex’ and ‘Alfredo’). Although the biostimulants did not significantly impact the marketable yield, all treatments led to a significant increase in ascorbic acid content. The influence on dry matter, sugars, phenols, and antioxidant activity varied by cultivar but generally did not result in inferior outcomes compared to the control. The effect on nitrate levels also varied, with Optysil and Asahi showing some adverse effects depending on the cultivar. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Environmental Factors on the Quality of Horticultural Commodities)

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16 pages, 2887 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Use of Soil Surface Mulching on Melon (Cucumis melo L.) Production under Temperate Climate Conditions

by Katarzyna Adamczewska-Sowińska

Agriculture 2024, 14(8), 1398; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081398 - 19 Aug 2024

Viewed by 708

Abstract

Despite its significant thermal requirements, melon is a vegetable species that holds the potential for expanding the crop range in temperate climate regions. The selection of appropriate varieties and agronomic practices facilitates its cultivation in these regions. This experiment, employing a randomized block design, was conducted from 2019 to 2021, and this study evaluated the response of three melon varieties—‘Seledyn F1’, ‘Melba’, and ‘Malaga F1’ (factor I)—to various mulching materials (factor II): black polyethylene film (PE), black polypropylene nonwoven (PP), biodegradable film (Fbio), and giant miscanthus straw. Control plots were left unmulched. Melon seeds were sown on 15 April, and seedlings were transplanted on 31 May at a spacing of 100 × 80 cm. This study assessed yield, fruit number, individual fruit weight, and vertical and horizontal fruit diameters. Under optimal conditions, the varieties Seledyn F1 and Malaga F1 produced fruits with the highest individual mass. The application of synthetic mulches led to a two-fold increase in fruit yield compared to unmulched plots, with a 23.7% increase in fruit number. On average, the largest fruits were obtained with PE mulch. Melons grown on Fbio mulch yielded, on average, 40% less and produced 18.8% fewer fruits compared to those grown with PE mulch. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Environmental Factors on the Quality of Horticultural Commodities)

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16 pages, 281 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Do Living Mulches or Environmental Conditions Have a Greater Impact on the External Quality of the Apple Fruit ‘Chopin’ Cultivar?

by Maria Licznar-Malanczuk and Urszula Barbara Baluszynska

Agriculture 2024, 14(4), 610; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14040610 - 12 Apr 2024

Viewed by 1048

Abstract

Research was carried out to assess the yield and quality of fruits from the new Polish apple tree ‘Chopin’—a ‘green peel’, scab-resistant cultivar under grass living mulch management. Blue fescue and red fescue were tested in experiment no. 1. In experiment no. 2, meadow grass and perennial ryegrass were used. Every species of grass was sown in two doses of 50 and 150 kg per ha. Herbicide fallow was introduced as a control in both experiments. Strongly variable temperatures and precipitations in the years of evaluation made it possible to estimate year—a function of variable environmental conditions—as an additional experimental factor. An unexpected effect of the presence of living mulch was its significant impact on the appearance of blush on the ‘green peel’ fruit. However, living mulches had little effect on weight and fruit size. Cool days during apple ripening enhanced the process of fruit skin red coloration. The effect of both agrotechnical and environmental factors on fruit quality was more visible in the case of less vigorous trees, which were more susceptible to experimental, stressful conditions. However, increasing the sowing dose of each grass seed did not influence red blushing, weight, or fruit size. An additional difficulty for the trees was the competition caused by the early germination of these living grass mulches, reinforced by the presence of Trifolium repens L. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Environmental Factors on the Quality of Horticultural Commodities)

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22 pages, 364 KiB

Open AccessReview

Review of the Report on the Nutritional and Health-Promoting Values of Species of the Rubus L. Genus

by Kamil Buczyński, Magdalena Kapłan and Zbigniew Jarosz

Agriculture 2024, 14(8), 1324; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081324 - 9 Aug 2024

Viewed by 1139

Abstract

The genus Rubus encompasses over 1000 species, including raspberries and blackberries, known for their rich nutritional and health-promoting properties. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the nutritional values, health benefits, and potential medical and pharmaceutical applications of Rubus species. The fruits, roots, shoots, and leaves of these plants are distinguished by their high content of polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals, which contribute to their potent anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-neurodegenerative, and anti-cancer effects. The diverse phytochemical profiles of the Rubus species support their use in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and certain cancers. Additionally, the Rubus species are valuable as pharmaceutical raw materials due to their bioactive compounds. Despite the focus on a few widely cultivated species, numerous wild and lesser-known Rubus species offer significant untapped potential as functional foods, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals. Future research should explore the detailed mechanisms of their bioactivities, develop effective extraction and formulation techniques, and integrate these findings into public health strategies. The genus Rubus represents a promising resource for enhancing human health and nutrition, as well as for pharmaceutical and medical applications, justifying increased cultivation and utilization of species from this genus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Environmental Factors on the Quality of Horticultural Commodities)

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