Raspberry production represents an alternative for farmers in the temperate zones of Mexico. Due to the environmental impact caused by conventional agriculture, there is currently greater demand for organic food in the national and international market. To achieve this need, new fertilization techniques based on organic amendments are being tested. In the present study, yields and quality were evaluated over a 3-year period (2015, 2016 and 2017) as well as the phytochemical compounds of the production in 2017, with management of organic versus conventional fertilization of raspberry crop in open field in Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, Mexico. During the three years of study, the conventional fertilization system obtained higher yields, compared to the organic one, with values of 2,698 and 2,351 g per linear meter in 2015, 2,423 and 1,301 g per linear meter in 2016 and the data for 2017 were 3,077 and 2,550 g per linear meter, respectively. Regarding quality, the results showed no statistical differences between the two systems of production about colour, firmness, total soluble solids, titratable acidity and pH of the fruit. Differently the composition of phytochemicals, phenols, flavonoids, total anthocyanins and antioxidant capacity was better under the organic management. In conclusion, the conventional system showed higher yields, the quality of the fruits was not different between the two systems, while the levels of phytochemicals were higher with the organic farming. Therefore, it is important to continue the research in order to improve soil fertility and achieve higher yields under the organic management.

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Raspberries are important sources of bioactive compounds, whose synthesis is influenced by the fertilization system and the maturity stage. This study evaluated the effect of organic and conventional fertilization systems on raspberries at three maturity stages, pink, ripe, and overripe. Physicochemical characteristics, bioactive compounds (phenolic profile, vitamin C), antioxidant capacity (DPPH, FRAP, TEAC, and ORAC), phenolic-associated enzyme, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), and antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GPx, and APX) were evaluated. The physicochemical determination of the fruit did not reveal differences between fertilization systems. Regarding bioactive compounds, higher content of anthocyanins was found in organic raspberries at all maturity stages. Organic fertilization increased the content of ellagic acid and gallic acid at all stages of maturity. Higher content of caffeic, hydroxybenzoic, protocatechuic acid, and vitamin C was observed in organic raspberry at the overripe stage. Raspberries grown with organic fertilization exhibited higher values of antioxidant capacity by the DPPH, FRAP, and TEAC methods at all maturity stages. Raspberries under organic fertilization showed significantly greater activity of CAT, SOD, APX, GPX, and PAL. The present study suggests that organic fertilization induces oxidative stress causing an increase in antioxidant defense mechanisms, enhancing bioactive compound production, and improving antioxidant capacity in raspberries.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of membrane technology to treat oxygen and peroxide-reinforced extraction stage (EPO) filtrate from a kraft pulp mill bleach plant. Three different types of tubular membranes were tested in a pilot plant: (i) tight ultrafiltration (UF); (ii) open UF followed by nanofiltration (UF+NF); and (iii) nanofiltration (NF). According to the separation performance, considering the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and colour removal, permeate flux, operational simplicity and cost, the results indicated that the best option for treatment of (EPO) filtrates was the tight UF membrane. This membrane obtained a COD removal of 79% with a colour reduction of 86%. The effect of (EPO) filtrate UF treatment on the mill effluent treatment plant was evaluated. Compared with the actual mill effluent, the results indicated that if the UF permeate was recycled in the bleaching area, the COD reduction efficiency increased by 7%, the final effluent colour decreased by 8%, the biological sludge production decreased by 18%, and the energy consumption decreased by 40%. In the tertiary treatment plant, the coagulant dosage decreased by 40%, and the tertiary sludge production decreased by 46%.