Introduction. La pomme Cythère est un fruit économiquement sous-exploité au Cameroun par manque de connaissances sur les techniques de culture de l’espèce, la conservation post-récolte de son fruit et sa valeur nutritionnelle. L’objectif de notre étude a été d’analyser certains changements morphologiques et biochimiques qui se produisent au cours du développement de la pomme Cythère et de chercher à évaluer le temps s’écoulant entre la nouaison et la maturation des fruits, afin de prévoir une date probable de récolte au Centre Cameroun. Matériel et méthodes. Certains paramètres morphologiques (longueur, diamètre, volume et poids du fruit) et biochimiques (teneurs en eau, en sucres totaux, en lipides, protéines et en éléments minéraux, teneur en chlorophylles a et b) des fruits de S. cytherea ont été mesurés à partir de leur nouaison jusqu’à leur maturation. Résultats et discussion. Les valeurs des paramètres morphologiques mesurés sur le fruit ont augmenté au cours du temps et leur évolution a suivi une courbe à allure sigmoïdale. Les valeurs maximales ont été obtenues à la vingt-huitième semaine avec près de 128 g pour le poids frais, 19 g pour le poids sec, 69 mm pour la longueur, 58 mm pour le diamètre et 116 mL pour le volume. Les chlorophylles a et b ont diminué au cours du développement du fruit. La teneur des fruits en éléments minéraux a diminué avec le temps et le potassium a été l’élément le plus abondant. Sa teneur a varié de 1,6 % à 0,9 % entre la sixième et la trentième semaine après nouaison. Les sucres totaux ont augmenté avec le temps alors que les teneurs en lipides et les protéines diminuaient. Trente semaines après la nouaison, les valeurs ont été de 13,76 % de matière fraîche pour les sucres, de 0,47 % de matière sèche pour les lipides et de 0,43 % de matière sèche pour les protéines. Conclusion. La composition de la pomme Cythère donnerait à ce fruit une valeur nutritive aussi importante que celle de certains fruits tropicaux plus connus comme la banane, la mangue et l’ananas.

Introduction. The increase in diabetes and obesity has increased the demand for reduced sugar products such as jams and jellies. Four jelly formulations were prepared using date juice which was enriched with pectin and lemon flavors. Materials and methods. Reduced quantities of sugars (45% and 55%) were added to the juice at different pH (3 and 3.5). The prepared jellies were evaluated for physico-chemical and sensory properties. Results and discussion. The water activity values for jellies ranged between 0.767 and 0.804, making them safe from the development of the majority of bacteria. The addition of less quantity of sugar, as well as the decreased pH, resulted in significantly firmer jellies, with higher adhesiveness, chewiness and cohesiveness. Sensory evaluation showed that the prepared jellies averaged 4.17–5.47 and 4.59–5.67 for taste and firmness, respectively, in a 7-point hedonic scale consumer acceptance study. The most appreciated jellies were those prepared with the lowest sugar content, with a slight preference for that with a pH of 3.5. Significant differences were not found between scores for the other sensory attributes (color, transparency, brightness, odor and springiness).

Introduction. Mature green vanilla pods accumulate 4-O-(3-methoxy-benzaldehyde)-β-D-glucoside (glucovanillin), which, upon hydrolysis by an endogenous b-glucosidase, liberates vanillin, the major aroma component of vanilla. Little is known on the spatial distribution of aroma-generating phenolics, and the enzymes responsible for their liberation (β-glucosidase) and oxidation (peroxidase). We report here quantitative data with respect to these three components in relation to the anatomy of the pod. Furthermore, the spatial progression of oxidation is shown. Materials and methods. Mature green vanilla pods were analyzed for their contents of phenolics (HPLC), and β-glucosidase and peroxidase activities by spectrophotometric techniques using p-nitrophenyl glucoside and vanillin as substrates, respectively. Lipids were examined under fluorescence microscopy after Nile red staining. Oxidation development was observed on transverse slices of pods. Results and discussion. Phenolics, and β-glucosidase and peroxidase activities showed gradients of increasing-decreasing concentrations from the stem to the blossom end of pods. The β-glucosidase activity is distributed in between the placentae, mesocarp, and trichomes in a [7 / 2 / 1] proportion while that of peroxidase shows a [38 / 1] ratio in the mesocarp and placentae, and was absent from trichomes. Oxidation begins from the blossom end in the placentae, progressively invading the mesocarp and moving towards the stem end. Conclusion. The green mature vanilla pod is spatially heterogeneous for its phenolics, and β-glucosidase and peroxidase activities, its placentae playing an important role in the liberation of vanillin and its subsequent oxidation.

Introduction. Celtis australis L., Crataegus azarolus L., Crataegus monogyna Jacq., Elaeagnus angustifolia L. et Zizyphus lotus L. sont des arbres et arbustes fruitiers non conventionnels, très communs en Afrique et surtout en Algérie. Leurs fruits traditionnellement exploités sont sources de minéraux et vitamines qui pourraient constituer une matière première non négligeable pour l’alimentation. Ils sont consommés frais ou secs. L'objectif de notre travail a été de déterminer la composition minérale et vitaminique de ces fruits. Matériel et méthodes. Notre étude a porté sur une comparaison de ces fruits quant à leurs caractéristiques biométriques et à la teneur de leur portion comestible en composés vitaminiques et éléments minéraux. Résultats et discussion. La pulpe des cinq fruits étudiés s’est révélée plus riche en vitamines (tocophérol, carotène, vitamine C, thiamine B1) et en minéraux (calcium, magnésium, potassium, fer, manganèse ) que certains fruits plus largement consommés. La teneur de quelques oligo-éléments (zinc, cuivre) n’a pas dépassé le seuil de toxicité, indiquant que la consommation de ces fruits n’était pas préjudiciable à la santé publique. Conclusion. Les fruits analysés pourraient être source d’un apport nutritionnel important et être utilisés dans différents domaines : agroalimentaire, cosmétique, pharmaceutique et autres.

Introduction. In-package biofumigation with the volatile-producing fungus Muscodor albus was tested to control fungal decay in organic table grapes stored at a commercial packinghouse. Materials and methods. Sachets containing two different amounts of activated M. albus culture were inserted into shipping boxes containing approximately 4.5 kg of ‘Thompson Seedless’ or ‘Red Seedless’ table grapes. The volatiles were contained inside the boxes either by wrapping pallets of the boxes externally with plastic film after pre-cooling (pallet wrapping) or by using a modified atmosphere liner inside each box. Decay incidence was evaluated after 7 weeks of storage at 0 °C. Results. The M. albus sachets reduced decay incidence among ‘Red Seedless’ table grapes in both wrapped pallets and boxes with liners. In this cultivar, the modified atmosphere liner alone reduced decay incidence by about 70% and the M. albus treatment in the liner further reduced decay incidence, regardless of the amount of M. albus used. The combination of the M. albus sachet and the modified atmosphere liner proved to be the most effective decay control treatment. Decay incidence was lower among ‘Thompson Seedless’ table grapes and a significant decay control was only observed after the grapes had been allowed to warm up after storage with the 50-g rates applied inside the liner. No adverse effects were associated with the treatment or the liners. Discussion. Based on our results, biofumigation with M. albus sachets is compatible with the commercial handling of organic table grapes and could provide significant improvement in their shelf life.

Introduction. Canada is an important avocado importer from Mexico. For most of the harvest season, fruit reach adequate pulp dry matter content, ripen properly and, consequently, quality and shelf life are excellent. However, after January, fruit dry matter content increases and blackened skin occurs. Shipments to Canada containing blackened fruit are rejected because this characteristic is wrongly associated with low pulp firmness and short shelf life. The objective of our research was to determine the effect of harvest time and ripening degree on initial quality and shelf life of Hass avocado. Materials and methods. Fruit were harvested from October 2007 to April 2008, and grouped into five ripening categories according to the degree of blackened skin. Fruit were then refrigerated for 7 d to simulate shipment to Canada. Thereafter, fruit were stored under simulated market conditions until they reached the edible ripening stage. Dry matter content was calculated only at the beginning of the storage period while quantification of weight loss, fruit with blackened skin, pulp firmness, and pulp color was done at the beginning of the storage period, at the end of the refrigeration period, and every three days during market conditions. Results and discussion. Dry matter content, skin color and pulp hue angle significantly increased with harvest date and ripening degree. Weight loss decreased with harvest date but increased with ripening degree, while firmness was affected by harvest date but was not associated with ripening degree. Conclusion. There is no reason to reject or downgrade blackened fruit, since quality and shelf life are not affected.

Introduction. The traditional curing of vanilla pods includes “killing” and sweating steps when pods are exposed to heat (35–65 ℃) for various lengths of time. Although it is known that liberation of vanillin and other phenolics from their non-aromatic glucosides is due to the action of an endogenous β-glucosidase, its in vivo kinetics remained unknown. Materials and methods. Mature green vanilla pods were pretreated for 2 h at 50 ℃, 55 ℃ and 60 ℃, then stored for 118 days at 27 ℃. Phenolic glucosides and their aglycons were extracted at regular intervals during the storage period and analyzed by HPLC. Results and discussion. All phenolic β-glucosides were slowly hydrolyzed during the storage period with production of vanillin, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, vanillic acid, and other unknown aglycons. Most of the β-glucosidase was heat-denatured by the pretreatment, and analysis of its kinetic parameters showed that it adopts, in vivo, an allosteric mode of functioning with a lower affinity for glucovanillin than in vitro, where it behaves as a Michaelian enzyme. Conclusion. Extensive research is needed to confirm the allosteric mechanism of the vanilla β-glucosidase in vivo.

Introduction. Vietnam is among the world's top 20 mango producing countries.In this country, the ‘cat Hoa loc’ variety is predominant, with 17 692 ha undercultivation with an annual production of 58 471 t; it is considered to be the best mangovariety in the Mekong delta. Ripening of the fruit is typically expressed by a skin colourchange from green to bright yellow. This variety is highly prized by local and foreignconsumers, but subject to different disorders, especially fruit fly infestations. Heattreatment is a safe alternative to chemical treatments. It can impair mould developmentand control fruit infestation by destroying fruit fly eggs and larvae. It may have agreater or lesser effect on fruit physiology. If the treatment temperature and durationare incorrectly handled, skin burns may result and the internal quality of the fruit maybe affected. Materials and methods. ’Cat Hoa loc’ mangoes at the commerciallymature stage were subjected to hot air treatment (47 °C and 90% RH) of different durations[(0, 20, 40, 60, 90, 120 and 180) min from the fruit core attaining the temperature].After treatment, the fruits were stored at 25 °C and quality parameters evaluated (weightloss, peel and flesh colour, percentages of fruit with burns and rots, burn index,ripening percentage, firmness, TSS, TA, vitamin C content, pH, reducing and total sugars,and taste test). Results and discussion. For the ‘cat Hoa loc’variety, heat treatment accelerated ripening of the fruit in the initial storage periodand colour changes occurred more quickly. However, after 7 days' storage, the differencein Hue value between the treated and control fruits disappeared. Hot air treatment at47 °C of different durations [(20 to180) min] did not affect the internal colorationchanges of ‘cat Hoa loc’ mangoes, but did affect the flesh firmness. We found that, after3 d, hot air treatment at 47 °C led to significantly faster weight loss than controlfruits but this difference disappeared after 7 d. Total sugar content was not affected bythe treatment, but titratable acidity decreased more quickly in treated fruits.

Introduction. Pomegranate fruits (Punica granatum L.) are chilling-sensitive crops. Materials and methods. Pomegranate fruits were treated with calcium chloride and spermidine, alone or in combination, by normal dip and vacuum infiltration methods. The treated fruits were stored at 2 °C for 4 months. At the end of the storage period, samples were held for 3 days at 20 °C, then the qualitative constituents were evaluated. Results and discussion. Treated fruits exhibited less weight loss and higher juice content than control fruits. Non-treated fruits developed chilling injury manifested as an increase in K+ leakage and polyphenol oxidase activity. Calcium chloride and spermidine treatments resulted in lower soluble solid content, but some fruits showed higher titratable acidity. All treatments significantly increased ascorbic acid content. The pH of aril juice in treated fruits was lower than that of non-treated fruits, probably due to higher titratable acidity. Total antioxidant activity and total phenolic content increased in treated fruits. In our study, a correlation was observed between total phenolic content and total antioxidant activity. Conclusion. The treatments applied in our experiments maintained overall quality of pomegranate fruits during long-term storage. Postharvest application of calcium and spermidine either alone or in combination could ameliorate adverse effects of low temperature on pomegranate fruit quality during cold storage. Vacuum infiltration was as effective as the normal dip method. However, normal dip is a simpler and faster treatment method.

Botanique. Originaire d’Afrique tropicale, Detarium senegalense J.F. Gmel. appartient à la famille des Caesalpiniaceae et au genre Detarium Juss. C’est un grand arbre multicaule de (15 à 40) m de haut. Ses feuilles sont composées, paripennées, avec cinq à six paires de folioles opposées, disposées de manière alterne. Répartition. D. senegalense est rencontré sur les lisières de la forêt dense humide, dans les régions côtières, septentrionales et dans la zone soudano-guinéenne. Désigné par le terme « ditax » en Wolof, D. senegalense fait partie des espèces fruitières forestières les plus importantes dans l’économie d’exploitation au Sénégal. Il pousse de façon sauvage dans les îles du Sine-Saloum et en Casamance. Composition et transformation. Le fruit est caractérisé par sa pulpe verte très riche en vitamine C (plus de 1 g·100 g–1). C’est un fruit très populaire et largement consommé au Sénégal principalement sous forme de boisson, de marmelade, de sorbet ou à l’état frais. Le fruit possède également des vertus thérapeutiques contre la toux, les maux de reins et la lèpre. Certaines variétés de D. senegalense produisent des fruits toxiques mais les composés responsables de la toxicité n’ont pas encore été totalement identifiés. Aucune méthode objective permettant de différencier les fruits comestibles des fruits toxiques n’est disponible à l’heure actuelle. Bilan. Malgré ses potentialités nutritionnelles et organoleptiques, le ditax reste sous-exploité. Dès lors, la caractérisation biochimique complète des fruits, l’évaluation du potentiel technologique, le développement de méthodes de détection rapide des fruits toxiques et l’amélioration de la stabilité des produits transformés à base de ditax seraient des perspectives de recherches intéressantes pour mieux valoriser ce fruit riche en vitamine C. La culture contrôlée de la plante mériterait également d’être envisagée pour le développement de la production.

Introduction. Drought stress is the major factor affecting growth, development and production of walnut trees. In Iran, approximately 33 Mha of land is affected by salinization and drought stress. Finding genetic resources tolerant to drought stress at different growth stages is important for such semi-arid regions. Our aim was to understand better the adaptive mechanisms that enable different genotypes of walnut population to survive under drought stress, and to provide some useful clues for walnut tree breeding toward improved drought tolerance with utilization of existing drought-tolerant genetic resources. Materials and methods. To study the mechanism(s) involved in drought tolerance of some Persian walnut genotypes, drought stress was induced using polyethylene glycol-6000 to produce water potentials of 0 Mpa (control), –0.10 MPa, –0.50 MPa, –0.75 MPa, –1.00 MPa, –1.50 MPa and –2.00 MPa. The amount of proline and soluble sugar accumulation in four walnut genotypes (‘Panegine20’, ‘Lara’, ‘Serr’ and ‘Chandler’) were determined after being exposed to the various water potential levels. Results. The rates of seed germination in all genotypes were significantly reduced by low external water potentials. Plants exposed to water stress had a higher amount of soluble sugars in roots and shoots of tolerant genotypes (‘Panegine20’ and ‘Chandler’) and a lower amount of starch in their tissues. These results imply the important roles of soluble sugars as solutes conferring resistance to drought in these genotypes. The free proline levels were also increased in response to drought stress. They were higher in drought-tolerant genotypes than in sensitive ones (‘Lara’ and ‘Serr’). Proline increased more in shoots than in roots. However, the soluble sugar and starch fluctuations were higher in the roots. Conclusion. Our results support a direct correlation between the degree of drought stress and proline content. As a consequence, proline concentrations could be used as a biochemical marker of drought stress level in walnut plants.

Introduction. Opuntia ficus-indica fruit quality wasstudied, in the main sites for cactus pear cultivation in Italy, with the ultimate goal ofunderstanding the main sources of variability and increasing crop value. Materialsand methods. A first study was carried out in 2006 on matureOpuntia ficus-indica trees, cvs. Gialla and Rossa, grown inten commercial orchards located in the main sites for their cultivation in Italy. Treeswere managed to produce an out-of-season crop in October, through the removal of thespring flush at bloom time, during the first week of June. Trees had a similar crop[(52 ± 10) kg of fruits·tree–1], and no more than six fruits were left on eachof the fruiting cladodes. At commercial harvest time, indicated by the peel colourbreakage, 75 fruits in each orchard and 750 fruits for each site were picked, analysed andevaluated by a consumer panel. A second experiment was carried out in 2006 on 8-year-oldO. ficus-indica trees, cv. Gialla, grown in acommercial orchard. Within-tree factors, such as fruit position within the canopy, numberof fruits per tree and per cladode, and cladode dry weight were studied. Results anddiscussion. Fruit weight, shape and total soluble solid content significantlychanged with the environmental conditions, i.e., site and altitude, whileflesh percent, pH and total titratable acidity did not. Cultivars had a significantinfluence only on fruit weight and seed content. Fruit weight changed greatly within thetree, while total soluble solid content and flesh percent variability was much reduced.Fruit weight decreased with fruit number per tree and both fruit weight and total solublesolid content decreased with more than six fruits per cladode. Light interception andcladode dry weight were the main sources of fruit dry weight variability and sugarcontent, while cladode surface area was poorly related to fruit quality. The role ofcultivars in determining fruit quality did not change with site and, moreover, the sensoryanalysis was unable to discriminate for cultivar and environment.

Introduction. Tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.) belongs to the Fabaceae family; it is a multipurpose tree with slow growth. In order to help improve its growth and development, we assessed mycorrhizal diversity of tamarind parklands in Senegal. Materials and methods. Three sites of tamarind populations were sampled for each agro-ecological zone in Senegal: the Sahelian zone (i), Sahelo-Sudan zone (ii) and Sudan zone (iii). Soil and root samples were collected in each site and used for arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) spore isolation and root colonization assessment. We identified the mycorrhizal fungi from spore collections and evaluated the root mycorrhization rate, defined as percentage of roots colonized according to agro-ecological zones. Results and discussion. The results did not reveal a specific AM fungal strain associated with tamarind plants. Three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) were identified from spores on the genus level: Glomus, Scutellospora and Acaulospora. Tamarind sites with sandy soil texture (70–90%) and located in dry areas (Sahel and Sudano-Sahel zones) were shown to be rich in mycorrhizal propagules. High densities of soil AM propagules evaluated with the Most Probable Number method (MPN) were found in Niokhoul (1100 propagules per 50 g of soil), Sakal (790 propagules per 50 g of soil) and Mbassis (780 propagules per 50 g of soil). However, higher mycorrhizal colonization (11%) was observed in the Sahel agro-ecological zone compared with the Sudano-Sahelian and Sahelian zones (3%) of Senegal. Conclusion. Our study explored natural AMF diversity as a starting point to develop inocula to be used in commercial nursery production of tamarinds.

Introduction. Shanxi province is one of the main walnut production areas in the North of China. The cultivated species mainly belong to a Chinese walnut tree population, named ‘Mian Hetao’ (Juglans regia L.), which reproduces from seedlings. Although the walnut apomixis characteristics were discovered very early and have an important breeding value, this variety has not yet been reported as an important breeding resource. Cultivar origin. ‘Qinquan 1’ is a new cultivar of walnut tree (Juglans regia L.), selected in 1982 from walnut seedling resources in the department of Shanxi, in the North of China. This cultivar is characterized by apomixis, the ratio of which can reach 24.7%. After more than 20 years of selection and many local experiments, its characteristics were given and the cultivar was certificated in March 2007. Cultivar characteristics. Characteristics of ‘Qinquan 1’ fruits, trees, development stages, production and the apomixis rate are given. Main cultural techniques. Many characteristics of this new cultivar are suitable for its growth in the middle or south Loess Highlands (China), where the annual average temperature is 9~13 °C and rainfall is above 450 mm. The cultivar is also cultivable in the North of China where the soil and climate conditions resemble those of the original area. Other recommendations are given for improving the ‘Qinquan 1’ tree growth.

Introduction. Rhizopus stolonifer is thecausal agent of Rhizopus rot disease in various fruit and vegetables.Materials and methods. The effect of chitosan was evaluated invitro on mycelial growth, sporulation, morphological characteristics andgermination of spores of three isolates of R. stolonifer (from peach,papaya and tomato). The effect of chitosan on controlling Rhizopus decayin peach, papaya and tomato fruit in situ in comparison with thesynthetic fungicide dichloran was also studied. Results and discussion. Ourresults showed that the mycelial growth and sporulation of the three isolates weremarkedly inhibited at all tested chitosan concentrations. The highest antifungal indexesand sporulation reduction were observed with chitosan at 2 mg·mL–1. In ourstudy, the morphological characteristics of the spores of R. stolonifershowed different behavior depending on the evaluated isolates. In general, the highesteffect on germination was observed at the chitosan concentration of 2 mg·mL–1.Our results demonstrated that chitosan was effective in reducing the percentage ofinfection and the severity index on peach, papaya and tomato fruit compared with those ofnon-treated control. The chitosan was not more effective than dichloran in reducing thepercentage of infection. The results of the study suggest that chitosan(2 mg·mL–1) is a good alternative for the control ofRhizopus decay on peach, papaya and tomato fruit; it could beconsidered as a potential agent in natural alternatives to control postharvestdiseases.

Introduction. Cashew production has been on a decline due to poor yield resulting from poor quality traits of open-pollinated seedling populations that were used to establish plantations. Clones established from outstanding individuals through air-layering root poorly and are not likely to survive transplanting, thus clonal propagation by air-layering has been of little value for cashew propagation. Materials and method. To improve the rooting percentages of air-layering, three auxins (IBA, NAA and IAA) were applied at six concentrations [(0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5)%] on four cashew genotypes. Results and discussion. Significant improvement was recorded in terms of layer take, number of roots per layer, number of days to rooting, length of roots and percentage of surviving clones after transplanting. Improvement varied between the different auxins, concentrations and genotypes. We observed that degree of rooting was genotype-specific and influenced by auxin type and specific concentration. Our data showed that, among the auxins tested, IBA was most effective, with optimum performance at the 2% concentration. Conclusion. Using auxins made it possible to significantly improve the rooting and survival of cashew propagules; however, to achieve sufficient rooting and better establishment after transplanting, auxin treatment should not exceed 3% concentration. This intervention would help alleviate the problem of clonal establishment in cashew.

Introduction. During maturation, vanillin is accumulated in green vanilla beans as glucovanillin; it is hydrolyzed to free vanillin by endogenous glucosidases during curing and gives the characteristic flavor of vanilla. The objective of our study was to investigate methods of curing that could greatly reduce the time to complete the process and yield cured beans that retain high concentrations of vanillin and other flavor compounds with high sensory quality rating. Materials and methods. Mature green beans were obtained from a commercial grower (Cairns, Queensland, Australia). One batch of beans was continuously sweated at 35 °C at high relative humidity (RH) for 12 d. Two further batches were blanched in water at 67 °C for 3 min, and then sweated at 45 °C at high RH for 4 d or at 35 °C for 5 d. The beans were sweated until they turned brown. Three methods of drying were evaluated: a heat pump dryer at 40 °C and RH 15%, tunnel dryer at 60 °C and RH 20%, and tunnel dryer at 60 °C and RH 10%. Vanillin was extracted from powdered samples of beans with n-pentane and dichloromethane (1:1 v/v) and assayed by HPLC. Glucovanillin was measured as total vanillin after acid hydrolysis of powdered samples of beans. Results and discussion. About 90% of the glucovanillin was converted to vanillin in non-blanched beans continuously sweated at 35 °C, but there was only 70% conversion in beans blanched at 67 °C for 3 min and sweated at 45 °C for 4 d or at 35 °C for 5 d. The sensory quality of cured beans was assessed by untrained panelists. Profiling showed that the beans sweated continuously at 35 °C had superior aroma compared with beans blanched in hot water and sweated at 45 °C or at 35 °C but the appearance of non-blanched beans was less attractive. Conclusion. The study revealed that a mild hot water blanching treatment followed by sweating at 35–45 °C and rapid drying is required to produce cured beans with excellent appearance and attractive aroma.

Introduction. This protocol describes a method for obtaining well-established banana plants in the field, both for open-air and greenhouse cultivation, from hardened tissue culture nursery plants. The principle, starting material and time required are presented. Materials and methods. This part describes the process of land preparation, both in the case of planting and replanting, including preplant fertilizer requirements and irrigation recommendations, and the main horticultural practices appropriate both for planting out in the field and for the first months after planting. Special attention is given to correct irrigation, a key issue in the establishment process. Possible problem areas for troubleshooting are listed. Results. At the end of the process, vigorous plants with uniform growth and high yield potential are planted out and become optimally established in the commercial field.

Introduction. Superficial scald is one of the most economically seriouspostharvest disorders of apples. The optimal harvest window and 1-MCP treatmentsignificantly diminish the risk of storage scald and retain quality of apples stored in anormal atmosphere. Materials and methods. Fruits from three different harvestdates (23rd and 30th September, and 7th October 2008) were treated with 1-MCP(SmartFreshTM) immediately after harvest, and stored in a normal atmosphere(1 ± 0.5) °C for 180 days followed by a shelf-life period of 7 days at (21 ± 1) °C.Assessments of superficial scald severity, firmness, total soluble solids and titratableacidity were recorded at days 1 and 7 after storage. Organoleptic quality assessments weremade after the shelf-life period. Results. 1-MCP treatment was able tocontrol superficial scald before and after shelf life in fruits from the last two harvesttimes. The highest scald values during shelf life were observed in untreated and1-MCP-treated fruits from the earliest harvest (3.6 and 2.3, respectively). 1-MCP andearly harvest time were determined to have a positive effect on retention of firmness andtitratable acidity during storage. Total soluble solids was not affected by 1-MCPtreatment. Combination of 1-MCP treatment and mid- or late harvest time gave the bestevaluation scores for organoleptic quality. Conclusion. Our results show that1-MCP treatments of late-harvested “Granny Smith” apples could offer satisfactory resultsfor long-term air storage considering both the absence of superficial scald and retentionof fruit quality.

Introduction. Physalis has been known for a long time in Egypt. Amongunexploited tropical fruits, Physalis is a very promising fruit. Recently, the economicimportance of Physalis has risen, due to its high acceptance for local consumption,achieving great success in the African, Latin American and European markets. One of thechallenges of recent years has been to participate in the development of Physalis as acommercial crop of economic utility. In order to understand the nutraceutical andmedicinal characteristics of Physalis fruits cultivated in Egypt, the biochemicalcomposition of the raw Physalis pubescens juice was determined.Materials and methods. Whole fresh fruits of Physalis pubescensfrom Egypt were preserved at –20 °C for the duration of the experiment. Thejuice was extracted from Physalis fruits by using a fruit pulper then filtered oncheesecloth to separate seeds and skins. Contents of oil, fatty acids, proteins, aminoacids, sugars and minerals of the juice were analyzed, and were compared and discussed inrelation to the biochemical composition of other fruits and vegetable oils.Results. Yield of the juice was high (64%) and it is a rich source ofminerals such as potassium (11.32 g·100 g–1 dm), phosphorus(5.55 g·100 g–1 dm), zinc (0.02 g·100 g–1 dm) and boron(0.01 g·100 g–1 dm), polyphenols (76.6 mg·100 mL–1) andcarotenoids (70 µg·mL–1). It contained good amounts of vitamin C(38.77 mg·100 mL–1) and it could be a good potential source of essentialamino acids such as isoleucine, valine and tryptophan [(4.2, 3.9 and3.9) g·100 g–1 protein], whose amounts were higher than those recommended bythe FAO / WHO / UNU. Additionally, it contains a low amount of oil(1.1 g·100 g–1 dm). Conclusion. Physalis juice should attractgreat interest because of its composition. Its potential nutraceutical quality couldparticipate in the development of Physalis as a commercial crop. Certain molecules such asantimicrobial molecules and bioactive withanolides, which have the famous ethnomedical andmedical effects of Physalis juice, still have to be studied.