▶ The addition of formulation adjuvants improved the performance of Ca sprays. ▶ CMC increased the retention and humectancy of Ca formulations. ▶ CMC enhanced the penetration and distribution of Ca ...into the fruits. ▶ Ca treatments improved apple firmness and limited the incidence of bitterpit during cold storage.
Laboratory and field experiments were carried out with apples (
Malus x domestica Borkh.) cv. ‘Golden Reinders’, to assess the efficacy of sodium salt of carboxymethyl ether of cellulose (0.5%, CMC) as an adjuvant for Ca spray formulations containing either Ca-chloride or Ca-propionate as active ingredient (120 or 250
mM Ca). This additive significantly increased the retention of Ca-containing solutions by the apple skin and prolonged the process of drying of the solution at room temperature. Four days after immersion of apples in 0.5% CMC plus CaCl
2 or Ca-propionate solutions (120 and 250
mM Ca) significant Ca increases were recorded in the peel and cortex of treated fruits. Application to apple trees of in-season sprays containing 250
mM CaCl
2 plus 0.05% Tween 20, Ca-propionate (120 and 250
mM Ca) plus 0.5% CMC or 250
mM CaCl
2 plus 0.5% CMC had no impact on fruit yield and quality, but significantly limited the rate of bitter pit incidence during the following 3-month cold-storage period. Evidence is provided that addition of appropriate adjuvants to Ca sprays can favour the distribution of Ca into the apple fruit and helps to reduce the incidence of Ca-related disorders over the postharvest cold-storage period.
Aim of study: Developing models to determine soluble solids content (SSC) in cherry trees by means of Vis/NIR spectroscopy.Area of study: The Spanish Autonomous Community of Aragón (Spain).Material ...and methods: Vis/NIR spectroscopy was applied to Prunus avium fruit ‘Chelan’ (n=360) to predict total SSC using a range 400-2420 nm. Linear (PLS) and nonlinear (LSSVM) regression methods were applied to establish prediction models.Main results: The two regression methods applied obtained similar results (Rcv2=0.97 and Rcv2=0.98 respectively). The range 700-1060 nm attained better results to predict SSC in different seasons. Forty variables selected according to the variable selection method achieved Rcv2 value, 0.97 similar than full range.Research highlights: The development of this methodology is of great interest to the fruit sector in the area, facilitating the harvest for future seasons. Further work is needed on the development of the NIRS methodology and on new calibration equations for other varieties of cherry and other species.
The main objective of this study consists in the synthesis of a layered double hydroxide (LDH) clay doped with magnesium and aluminum in order to test the removal of phosphates and ibuprofen in ...water. Two different LDH composites are assessed: oven-dried (LDHD) and calcined (LDHC). Single adsorptions of phosphate and ibuprofen showed up to 70% and 58% removal in water, when LDHC was used. A poorer performance was observed for LDHD, which presented adsorption efficiencies of 52% and 35%, respectively. The simultaneous removal of phosphate and ibuprofen in water showed that LDHC allows a greater reduction in the concentration of both compounds than LDHD. Phosphate adsorption showed a close agreement between the experimental and theoretical capacities predicted by the pseudo-second-order model, whereas ibuprofen fitted to a first-order model. In addition, phosphate adsorption showed a good fit to an intraparticle diffusion model and to Bangham model suggesting that diffusion into pores controls the adsorption process. No other mechanisms may be involved in ibuprofen adsorption, apart from intraparticle diffusion. Finally, phosphate desorption could recover up to 59% of the initial concentration, showing the feasibility of the recuperation of this compound in the LDH.
•Watercore distribution and its incidence were related to solar radiation inside the canopy.•MRI was used as a non-destructive technique for internal inspection of the fruit.•Changes in composition ...were examined between affected and non-affected tissues.•High levels of sorbitol were found in watercored tissues.•Fruit from the top of the canopy had higher probability of radial damage and a higher percentage of damage.
Watercore distribution inside apple fruit (block or radial), and its incidence (% of tissue) were related to the effect of solar radiation inside the canopy as measured by a set of low-cost irradiation sensors. 221 samples were harvested in two seasons from the top and the bottom of the canopy and submitted to the non-invasive and non-destructive technique of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in order to obtain 20 inner tomography slices from each fruit and analyze the damaged areas using an interactive 3D segmentation method. The number of fruit corresponding to each type of damage and the relevant percentage were calculated and it was found that apples from the top of the tree were mainly of the radial type (84%) and had more watercore (approx. 5% more) than apples from the bottom (65% radial). From the image segmentation, the Euler number, a morphometric parameter, was extracted from the segmented images and related to the type of watercore symptoms. Apples with block watercore were grouped in Euler numbers between −400 and 400 with a small evolution. For apples with radial development, the Euler number was highly negative: up to −1439. Significant differences were also found regarding sugar composition, with higher fructose and total sugar contents in apples from the upper canopy, compared to those in the lower canopy location. In the seasons studied (2011 and 2012), significantly higher sorbitol and lower sucrose and fructose contents were found in watercore-affected tissue compared to the healthy tissue of affected apples and also compared to healthy apples.
Laser Synthesis of Nanomaterials Larosi, Mohamed Boutinguiza; García, Jesús del Val; Rodríguez, Antonio Riveiro
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland),
08/2022, Letnik:
12, Številka:
17
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Nanomaterials, defined as materials with typical dimensions of less than 100 nm in at least one dimension, exhibit very special physicochemical properties that are highly dependent on their size and ...shape ...
During 2004 and 2006, experiments were conducted that measured the absorption of calcium (Ca) by the fruit and assessed the effects of Ca sprays on the skin and flesh of apples. Frequent (1 ...spray/month for 2 or 4 months) Ca treatments increased the concentration of Ca in the skin, but not in the flesh of fruit, and several sprays were needed to promote a prolonged increase in the concentration of Ca in the skin. Calcium sprays did not influence the concentrations of magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K). Foliar analyses confirmed the absorption of topical Ca by the apple tree following the Ca sprays as the concentration of Ca in leaves increased.
Granite stones are the most abundant rock of the crust. Due to their beauty, durability, and virtually zero maintenance, they have been used widely since ancient times in all types of construction, ...as a structural or decorative element. Commonly, this material is used with a polished finishing, but there has been an increased interest in giving it a rustic aspect, mainly for decorative or functional reasons, e.g., to reduce slipping. Rough surfaces are usually produced by means of bush hammering, but this is an extremely noisy and inefficient process. In this work we have explored the capabilities and limits of a laser blasting process assisted by a scanning system in order to produce precise and controllable roughness on two varieties of granite plates. It was found that laser blasting of thin granite tiles can be accomplished with processing widths up to 250 mm at medium-low laser power, obtaining a rustic aspect suitable for use in façades, paving, or flooring. Moreover, laser scanner systems are capable of enhancing the productivity of this process up to ten times greater than that found in previous works.
BACKGROUND: A strategy to supply Ca directly to fruits as a tool for improving peach quality has been devised and tested under field conditions. Since peaches in the area of study (Calanda, Spain) ...are routinely bagged shortly after thinning, a method based on the application of Ca gels to the fruit surface was introduced. The effect of surface treatments was assessed in terms of quality, nutrient balance and surface deposition.RESULTS: Application of Ca-containing formulations increased mesocarp and exocarp Ca concentrations, providing evidence for the penetration of Ca through the peach skin. Surface Ca treatments had a particular mode of deposition and in some instances improved the shelf life of fruits without affecting their quality.CONCLUSION: Surface treatment with Ca-containing gels appears to be a viable approach to increase fruit Ca, quality and storability of bagged peach cultivars and should be optimised in future studies.
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