“Koroneiki” olive fruit from trees grown in Crete were stored under five different conditions (0°C, air; 5°C, air; 5°C, 2% O2+5% CO2; 7.5°C, air; 7.5°C, 2% O2+5% CO2). Oil was obtained from fruit immediately after harvest and after fruit storage for 30 and 60 d. Olive oil quality was evaluated by determining acidity, peroxide value, absorption coefficients (K232, K270), phenol and chlorophyll content, fatty acid composition, and the resistance to oxidation by oven test. Olives stored at 7.5°C, even for 30 d, deteriorated from fungus development, and the obtained oil was of inferior quality with high acidity, peroxide value, and absorption coefficients. The same oil had high chlorophyll and phenol content, resulting in good oil resistance to oxidation. Olive oil from fruit stored at 0 or 5°C for 30 d had acceptable acidity, peroxide value, and absorption coefficients, but showed low resistance to oxidation, which was attributed to low chlorophyll and phenol content. This condition is further attributed to chilling injury caused by low storage temperatures. During storage, all treatments resulted in an increase of oleic acid, partly as a result of linoleic acid oxidation.

No abstract

It has been suggested that apple (Malus * domestica Borkh) flowering distribution maps can be used for site-specific management decisions. The objectives of this study were (i) to study the flower density variability in an apple orchard using image analysis and (ii) to model the correlation between flower density as determined from image analysis and fruit yield. The research was carried out in a commercial apple orchard in Central Greece. In April 2007, when the trees were at full bloom, photos of the trees were taken following a systematic uniform random sampling procedure. In September 2007, yield mapping was carried out measuring yield per ten trees and recording the position of the centre of the ten trees. Using this data (the measured yield of the trees and the pictures samples, representing the flower distribution), an image processing-based algorithm was developed that predicts tree yield by analyzing the picture of the tree at full bloom. For the evaluation of the algorithm, a case study scenario is presented where the error of the predicted yield was set at 18%. These results indicated that potential yield could be predicted early in the season from flowering distribution maps and could be used for orchard management during the growing season.

We describe the yield and quality of apples from a 0.8 ha apple orchard located in northern Greece over two growing seasons and consider the potential for site-specific management. The orchard has two apple cultivars: Red Chief (main cultivar) and Fuji (pollinator). Yield was measured by weighing all fruit harvested from groups of five adjacent trees and the position of the central tree was recorded by GPS. Apple quality at harvest was evaluated from samples of the two cultivars in both years for which fruit mass, flesh firmness, soluble solids content, juice pH and acidity of the juice were determined. The variation in tree flowering was also measured in the spring of the second season using a stereological sampling procedure. The results showed considerable variability in the number of tree flowers, yield and quality across the orchard for both cultivars. The number of flowers was strongly correlated with the final yield. These data could potentially be used to plan precise thinning and for early prediction of yield; the latter is important for marketing the fruit. Several quality characteristics, including fruit juice soluble solids content and acid content were negatively correlated with yield. The general patterns of spatial variation in several variables suggested that changes in topography and aspect had important effects on apple yield and quality.

The effect of storage for 6 months at 5°C (80% RH) versus 20°C (60% RH) of shelled versus in-shell almonds was studied on early versus late harvested nuts from 'Ferragnes' and 'Texas' trees. Kernel quality characteristics, oil composition and sugar composition were determined initially and after 6 months of storage. Early harvested almonds had similar kernel weight to but higher moisture content than late harvested almonds after 6 months of storage. Early harvested almonds also had similar oil quality (based on ultraviolet absorption coefficient measurements) and oil composition but lower sugar content and modified sugar composition compared with late harvested almonds. Storage of shelled almonds resulted in kernels with higher oil content, better oil quality, similar oil composition, similar sugar content and some modifications in sugar composition compared with in-shell stored almonds. Finally, storage for 6 months at either 5 or 20°C resulted in lower moisture content, higher oil content, similar oil quality and composition, similar sugar content and some modifications in sugar composition compared with freshly harvested almonds. Almonds stored at 5°C retained higher kernel weight and moisture content than almonds stored at 20°C.