•New root production timing, peaks and distribution patterns of SHB cultivars ‘8-42′ and ‘9–02′ were quantified using mini-rhizotrons.•The first root production peak commenced during early winter and ...flowering and continued until harvest and suggested that biomass growth above ground during winter may depend on current photosynthesis.•The second root production peak coincided with mid-summer, after harvest and during summer pruning.•Root formation during this time occurred simultaneously with active shoot growth and continued until shoot activity declined in late autumn.•Root formation was not linked to soil conditions and probably determined by the stage of plant development and resource acquisition between above- and belowground growth, similar to previous findings in apple trees.
The objective of this research was to obtain a better understanding of the root growth dynamics of two southern highbush blueberry (SHB) cultivars, '8-–42′ 42′ and '9–02′, in the Western Cape, South Africa, southern hemisphere (SH). The number and length of new roots were measured from June 2020 to June 2021 in commercial orchards in the Hex River production area. Root production was similar between the cultivars and initially peaked at the onset of early winter, to coincide with flowering. A second peak occurred in mid-summer, approximately one month after fruit harvest and summer pruning (late November, SH) and continued until shoot growth declined in late autumn (early May, SH). Soil temperatures ranged between 11 and 20 °C during the first peak in root production and 17 and 31°C during the second peak, suggesting that new root production was controlled by the stage of plant development rather than soil temperature. This paper provides the first report on root development in SHB under the SH conditions and contributes towards implementing precision irrigation and fertigation strategies for evergreen systems.
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•Anthocyanins were profiled in six blueberry cultivars for the first time.•Bluegold, Berkeley, and St. Cloud cultivars displayed special anthocyanin profiles.•The proportions of ...delphinidin 3-galactoside were stable in all samples.•Blueberry cultivars showed particular distribution areas in PCA plots.
Anthocyanin profiles, polyphenols and flavonoids contents, and the antioxidant capacities of 13 blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L. and Vaccinium corymbosum L./V. angustifolium Ait.) cultivars were determined and compared, including six cultivars for the first time. Although similar anthocyanins were found in the 13 cultivars, their concentrations and proportions were cultivar-dependent. Bluegold, Berkeley, and St. Cloud displayed particular anthocyanin profiles. Half-high cultivars had higher concentrations and proportions of anthocyanidins than highbush cultivars. The Pearson correlations and principal component analysis (PCA), performed to evaluate differences among cultivars, showed that anthocyanins, polyphenols, and flavonoids contents were significantly and positively correlated with blueberry antioxidant capacities. The 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical assay was less suited to assess antioxidant capacities based on flavonoids than ferric reducing antioxidant power assay. Although highbush cultivars could not be separated from half-high cultivars by PCA, each group had its own distribution area, which might be due to the peculiarities of each cultivar, possibly due to genetic origin.
•13 anthocyanins were identified by HPLC-DAD-MS from commercial blueberries in China.•Blueberry species could be separated by the proportions of anthocyanins.•Half-high cultivars had higher total ...anthocyanidin contents than highbush cultivars.•Malvidin, delphinidin, and petunidin were the major anthocyanidins.
In this study, anthocyanins in 17 samples of blueberries of different varieties and geographical origins in China (including Duke, Bluecrop, Northland, Northblue, Spartan, and St. Cloud blueberry varieties) were identified and quantified. Thirteen anthocyanins were identified by means of their absorbance spectrum and fragmentation pattern in tandem mass spectrometry. The anthocyanin profiles from blueberries of all cultivars were similar, but the proportions were cultivar-dependent. Malvidin (41.0%), delphinidin (33.1%), and petunidin (17.3%) were the major contributors to the total anthocyanidin content. The multivariate method of principal component analysis (PCA) was used to evaluate the differences among the cultivars. The results showed that each species could be separated from others cultivated in China, primarily by the proportions of each anthocyanin compound in each blueberry variety. The differences were probably due to the cultivar and climatic factors.
Summary
Understanding chromosome recombination behavior in polyploidy species is key to advancing genetic discoveries. In blueberry, a tetraploid species, the line of evidences about its genetic ...behavior still remain poorly understood, owing to the inter‐specific, and inter‐ploidy admixture of its genome and lack of in depth genome‐wide inheritance and comparative structural studies.
Here we describe a new high‐quality, phased, chromosome‐scale genome of a diploid blueberry, clone W85. The genome was integrated with cytogenetics and high‐density, genetic maps representing six tetraploid blueberry cultivars, harboring different levels of wild genome admixture, to uncover recombination behavior and structural genome divergence across tetraploid and wild diploid species.
Analysis of chromosome inheritance and pairing demonstrated that tetraploid blueberry behaves as an autotetraploid with tetrasomic inheritance. Comparative analysis demonstrated the presence of a reciprocal, heterozygous, translocation spanning one homolog of chr‐6 and one of chr‐10 in the cultivar Draper. The translocation affects pairing and recombination of chromosomes 6 and 10. Besides the translocation detected in Draper, no other structural genomic divergences were detected across tetraploid cultivars and highly inter‐crossable wild diploid species.
These findings and resources will facilitate new genetic and comparative genomic studies in Vaccinium and the development of genomic assisted selection strategy for this crop.
Blueberries have received considerable attention due to their content of health promoting compounds such as polyphenols and anthocyanins. Thermal processing is known to cause degradation of ...anthocyanins and juice color. The objectives of this research were to study the effect of continuous ultrasonication processing on the microbiological, chemical and physical properties of blueberry juice (BJ). Unpasteurized BJ was pumped at 24 mL/min or 93.5 mL/min to the continuous flow cell of an ultrasonic processor, where it was sonicated at three treatment levels, 13.88 ± 2.45, 43.45 ± 4.12, and 73.60 ± 5.35 (J/mL) energy density. Sonicated and unsonicated juices were analyzed for coliforms, total aerobes, yeasts and molds. Total anthocyanin content, total phenol content, antioxidant activity, °Brix, titratable acidity, pH and color were also determined for both sonicated and unsonicated juices. Continuous flow sonication successfully reduced microbial counts. Sonication at higher intensities significantly (p < 0.05) reduced microbial counts. The highest log reduction in total aerobes (1.36 log cycles) was achieved at high flow rate (93.5 min/mL) with high intensity (100 amplitude) sonication condition compared to untreated and control juice samples. Continuous flow sonication processing preserved the anthocyanins and color of blueberry juice. This study demonstrated that ultrasonication can be an alternative pasteurization treatment to thermal processing.
•Ultrasonication at sufficiently high intensity reduces microbial counts in blueberry juice.•Ultrasonic processing preserves the anthocyanins and color of blueberry juice better than conventional thermal processing.•Ultrasonication is an alternative pasteurization treatment to thermal processing.
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