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Horticulturae
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Advances in Tree Crop Cultivation and Fruit Quality Assessment
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Advances in Tree Crop Cultivation and Fruit Quality Assessment

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Fruit Production Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 11 May 2025 | Viewed by 2165

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Giovanni Gamba

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Science, University of Torino, Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
2. Chestnut R&D Center—Piemonte, Regione Gambarello 23, 12013 Chiusa di Pesio, Italy
Interests: tree crops; chestnut cultivation; propagation; physiology; sustainability; graft incompatibility; cultivation techniques
Dr. Burak Akyüz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Ondokuz Mayıs University, 55139 Samsun, Turkey
Interests: tree crops; chestnut cultivation; hazelnut cultivation; physiology; breeding; graft incompatibility
Dr. Dario Donno

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Science, University of Torino, Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
2. Chestnut R&D Center—Piemonte, Regione Gambarello 23, 12013 Chiusa di Pesio, Italy
Interests: tree crops; chestnut cultivation; secondary metabolites; quality assessment; nutraceutical properties; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The detrimental impact of climate change on crop yields, biodiversity, soil health, and water use necessitates the generation of innovative cultivation strategies to address these adverse effects. In addition, the gradual reduction in plant protection active substances, in compliance with European regulations, presents significant challenges to the productivity and sustainability of the tree crops sector.

This Special Issue explores cutting-edge sustainable cultivation techniques designed to enhance both environmental sustainability and fruit quality in tree crop systems. Methods such as deficit irrigation, the application of fertilizers produced from waste materials, and the use of modern rootstocks are examined for their potential to improve both crop performance and resource efficiency. Research articles and reviews encompassing the study of morphological, chemical, and physiological parameters as diagnostic tools, which are key indicators of plant health and response to these practices, will be highly appreciated. Additionally, the Special Issue “Advances in Tree Crop Cultivation and Fruit Quality Assessment” delves into the evaluation of fruit quality, with a focus on secondary metabolites and nutraceutical traits. Together, these insights offer a comprehensive understanding of how sustainable methods can promote both environmental stewardship and the production of high-quality, health-promoting fruits. This collection aims to provide a foundation for future advancements in sustainable tree crop cultivation.

Dr. Giovanni Gamba
Dr. Burak Akyüz
Dr. Dario Donno
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • physiological parameters
  • secondary metabolites
  • antioxidant capacity
  • waste management
  • agrobiodiversity
  • sustainability
  • by-products
  • rootstocks
  • reused materials

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 2646 KiB  
Article
Investigating the Effect of Two Interstocks, Changshanhuyou and Ponkan, on the Fruit Quality and Volatile Flavor of Cocktail Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf. cv. Cocktail)
by Fuzhi Ke, Zhenpeng Nie, Xiu Huang, Changjiang Cui, Yi Yang, Jianguo Xu, Luoyun Wang and Lifang Sun
Horticulturae 2025, 11(4), 403; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11040403 - 10 Apr 2025
Viewed by 242
Abstract
Citrus cultivars are propagated asexually through methods such as layering, cutting, and grafting. Grafting plays a critical role in regulating citrus fruit quality by optimizing stock–scion combinations. This study evaluated the grafting compatibility of two interstocks with Cocktail grapefruits (Citrus paradisi Macf. [...] Read more.
Citrus cultivars are propagated asexually through methods such as layering, cutting, and grafting. Grafting plays a critical role in regulating citrus fruit quality by optimizing stock–scion combinations. This study evaluated the grafting compatibility of two interstocks with Cocktail grapefruits (Citrus paradisi Macf. cv. Cocktail) by analyzing physiological and volatile traits of the fruits. We used Changshanhuyou (Citrus paradisi cv. Changshanhuyou) and Ponkan (Citrus reticulata Blanco cv. Ponkan), which are traditional citrus varieties in Quzhou, Zhejiang Province, as interstocks. Our results showed that the grapefruit fruits grafted onto Changshanhuyou exhibited higher total soluble solids (12.3 °Brix) and a brighter, more uniform peel color. The acidity of fruits grafted onto Changshanhuyou was lower than that of fruits grafted onto Ponkan and similar to the fruits from the control group that were grafted directly onto trifoliate orange. In terms of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 974 and 577 unique VOCs were identified in the peel and pulp, respectively. In the peel, 34 (26 upregulated and 8 downregulated) and 14 (13 upregulated and 1 downregulated) differentially accumulated VOCs were identified when comparing the trifoliate orange group with Changshanhuyou and Ponkan groups, respectively. The pulp exhibited greater VOC diversity, with 272 (24 upregulated and 248 downregulated) and 199 (4 upregulated and 195 downregulated) differentially accumulated VOCs detected for the same comparisons. In conclusion, compared with direct grafting onto trifoliate orange or on Ponkan as an interstock, grafting onto Changshanhuyou resulted in better fruit quality and distinct differences in flesh flavor. These findings suggest that Changshanhuyou is a more suitable interstock for Cocktail grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf. cv. Cocktail) cultivation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Tree Crop Cultivation and Fruit Quality Assessment)
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15 pages, 1276 KiB  
Article
Application of Plant Growth Regulators During Early Fruit Development Stage Increased Perceived Sweetness of Mango Fruit
by Li Li, Xiaowei Ma, Songbiao Wang, Chi Xu, Hongxia Wu, Yanke Wu, Yingzi He, Bin Zheng, Qingzhi Liang, Wentian Xu and Weiming Li
Horticulturae 2025, 11(2), 134; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11020134 - 27 Jan 2025
Viewed by 669
Abstract
This study investigated the optimal strategies for improving sugar biosynthesis in mango fruits. Randomized block design was used for experimental treatments. The mango cultivar “Renong-1” was sprayed with five green plant growth regulators, including solutions of SBP (sucrose-based polymers, a new highly efficient [...] Read more.
This study investigated the optimal strategies for improving sugar biosynthesis in mango fruits. Randomized block design was used for experimental treatments. The mango cultivar “Renong-1” was sprayed with five green plant growth regulators, including solutions of SBP (sucrose-based polymers, a new highly efficient and eco-friendly plant growth regulator), SPM (sucrose + potassium dihydrogen phosphate + microelement fertilizer), TPM (taurine + potassium dihydrogen phosphate + microelement fertilize), PFA (potassium fulvic acid), and SOP (seaweed oligosaccharide peptide) at different fruit development stages. Indicators, such as soluble solid content, soluble sugar and starch contents, and activities of 11 enzymes associated with sugar metabolism in physiologically mature and in full ripening fruits were evaluated. The results showed that SBP solution diluted 100-fold exerted the strongest effect on the soluble sugar content and sweetness value of “Renong-1” mango fruits. Based on the linear regression analysis, a significant negative correlation was observed between the activity of acid invertase and the perceived sweetness of physiologically mature fruits, while the activities of other enzymes were significantly negatively correlated with the perceived sweetness of full ripening fruits. According to multiple regression (by lars function in R) and other comprehensive analysis, A1B3 (spraying SBP solution one time in the young fruit stage) was selected as the optimal treatment combination for enhancing “Renong-1” mango perceived sweetness, followed by A1B2 (spraying SBP solution for the first time in the young fruit stage and the second time at medium maturity) as the alternative treatment combination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Tree Crop Cultivation and Fruit Quality Assessment)
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22 pages, 4656 KiB  
Article
Field Performance of Tissue Culture and Standard Propagated Raspberry Under Different Irrigation Regimes
by Tatjana Anđelić, Jelena Tomić, Boris Rilak, Žaklina Karaklajić-Stajić, Jasminka Milivojević, Dragan Radivojević and Tatjana Vujović
Horticulturae 2025, 11(1), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11010023 - 1 Jan 2025
Viewed by 817
Abstract
Healthy plant material that is uniform and genetically pure is essential for the successful raspberries production since it guarantees quality and consistent yields. A 4-year study (2018–2021) focused on raspberry cultivars “Meeker” and “Willamette”, which were propagated by tissue culture (MpP) and root [...] Read more.
Healthy plant material that is uniform and genetically pure is essential for the successful raspberries production since it guarantees quality and consistent yields. A 4-year study (2018–2021) focused on raspberry cultivars “Meeker” and “Willamette”, which were propagated by tissue culture (MpP) and root suckering (RsP) methods in three irrigation regimes (IR1-100% ETc, IR2-50% ETc, and IR3-25% ETc). “Meeker” had longer primocanes, higher productivity, sweetness, soluble solids, and sugar content in IR1. Micropropagated plants demonstrated initially longer primocanes (177.9 cm in 2018 and 203.5 cm in 2019) and slightly better productivity compared to root-suckered plants. Over time, the growth rates of plants obtained by two vegetative propagation methods became similar. The IR1 irrigation regime maximized yields per floricane and meter of trellis in 2019 and 2021 (619.8 and 501.9 g and 2.5 and 2.0 kg, respectively), providing sufficient water for raspberry plants. IR1 improved primocane height in 2018 and 2021 (181.3 and 238.3 cm), fruiting lateral length (31 cm), and number of flowers per fruiting lateral (10.7) in 2021. In all experimental years, “Meeker” showed a high sweetness index (8.53, 11.28, and 9.36) due to high sugar and low acid content, but it was sensitive to water deficit. “Willamette” maintained high total anthocyanins and stable sugar content, which emphasizes its adaptability to different conditions. Both cultivars showed high antioxidant activity with variability across study years. Antioxidant activity peaked in 2019 under all irrigation regimes and remained stable in 2021. The cultivar “Meeker” excelled in vegetative growth, productivity, and fruit taste, making it suitable for obtaining high yields in a 100% ETc irrigation level. In contrast, “Willamette” is better suited for obtaining high-quality fruit under water-limited conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Tree Crop Cultivation and Fruit Quality Assessment)
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