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-Introduction. Superficial scald is one of the most economically serious postharvest disorders of apples. The optimal harvest window and 1-MCP treatment significantly diminish the risk of storage scald and retain quality of apples stored in a normal atmosphere. Materials and methods. Fruits from three different harvest dates (23rd and 30th September, and 7th October 2008) were treated with 1-MCP (SmartFresh TM ) 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 titratable acidity were recorded at days 1 and 7 after storage. Organoleptic quality assessments were made after the shelf-life period. Results. 1-MCP treatment was able to control superficial scald before and after shelf life in fruits from the last two harvest times. The highest scald values during shelf life were observed in untreated and 1-MCP-treated fruits from the earliest harvest (3.6 and 2.3, respectively). 1-MCP and early harvest time were determined to have a positive effect on retention of firmness and titratable acidity during storage. Total soluble solids was not affected by 1-MCP treatment. Combination of 1-MCP treatment and mid-or late harvest time gave the best evaluation scores for organoleptic quality. Conclusion. Our results show that 1-MCP treatments of late-harvested "Granny Smith" apples could offer satisfactory results for long-term air storage considering both the absence of superficial scald and retention of fruit quality. (SmartFresh TM ) immédiatement après récolte, stockés en atmosphère normale à (1 ± 0,5)°C pendant 180 jours puis laissés pendant 7 jours à (21 ± 1)°C. Des évaluations de la gravité de l'échaudure superficielle, de la fermeté des fruits, de leur teneur totale en solides solubles et de leur acidité titrable ont été effectuées aux jours 1 et 7 après stockage. Des évaluations de leur qualité organoleptique ont été faites en fin de période de conservation. Résultats. Le traitement au 1-MCP a permis de contrôler l'échaudure superficielle avant et après la période de 7 jours à (21 ± 1)°C pour les fruits récoltés aux deux dernières dates. Pendant cette période, l'échaudure a été la plus marquée pour les fruits de la première récolte, qu'ils aient été ou non traités au 1-MCP (scores de 3,6 et 2,3, respectivement). L'application de 1-MCP et une récolte précoce ont eu un effet positif sur le maintien de la fermeté et de la teneur en acidité titrable pendant le stockage. La teneur totale en solides solubles n'a pas été affectée par le traitement au 1-MCP. La combinaison d'un traitement au 1-MCP et d'une récolte à mi-ou en fin de saison ont donné les meilleurs scores d'évaluation de la qualité organoleptique des pommes stockées. Conclusion. Nos résultats montrent que les traitements au 1-MCP appliqués aux dernières dates de récolte pourraient donner des résultats satisfaisants pour le stockage à l'air, à long terme, des pommes "Granny Smith" du f...

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Milić B., Magazin N., Keserović Z., Dorić M., 2011. Flower thinning of apple cultivar Braeburn using ammonium and potassium thiosulfate -Short communicaton. Hort. Sci. (Prague), 38: 120-124.Ammonium and potassium thiosulfate are used commercially or experimentally as flower thinners because they are considered user, environment and consumer safe. The thinning trials were conducted in 2009 and 2010, on three-and four-year-old Braeburn Mariri Red* trees. The chemicals were applied at 1%, 2% and 3% rates of ammonium and 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% of potassium thiosulfate. Both thinning agents reduced fruit set, but were more efficient in 2009, when applied at 20% full bloom, than in 2010, when they were applied at 80% full bloom. Flower thinning with ammonium and potassium thiosulfate increased the average fruit weight, but the highest chemical rates retarded fruit growth. Ammonium and potassium thiosulfate did not affect fruit shape and firmness, but they increased starch degradation, total soluble solids content and titratable acidity. The treatments increased the percentage of flower buds, except at the highest chemical rates, where leaf damage reduced flower bud formation. Ammonium or potassium thiosulfate application may be recommended as the first step in a chemical thinning program.

Milić B., Keserović Z., Dorić M., Ognjanov V., Magazin N. (2015): Fruit set and quality of self-fertile sweet cherries as affected by chemical flower thinning. Hort. Sci., 42: 119-124.Self-fertile cherry cultivars can produce an excessive crop of small fruits with low sugar content. In order to prevent overcropping and provide high quality fruits, chemical thinning of flowers is required. Ammonium thiosulfate (ATS), surfactants and plant oils are used to thin flowers, mostly in apple and peach. The purpose of this research was to compare the effectiveness of the blossom thinners ATS, surfactant Silwet and rapeseed oil (Ogriol) in reducing fruit set of the self-fertile sweet cherry cultivars Alex and Sunburst and their potential to improve fruit quality. At lower rates (1 and 2%) ATS did not consistently reduce fruit set, while at higher rate (3%) it produced visible phytotoxicity on the leaves. ATS treatments did not increase the average weight and diameter of fruits. 10 and 30 ml/l Ogriol application did not reduce fruit set significantly or improve fruit quality of self-fertile sweet cherries. The surfactant Silwet applied at the rates of 1 or 3 ml/l was found to consistently thin self-fertile sweet cherry cultivars, leading to better fruit quality.

The objective of this research was to quantify the effect of the application of organic fertilizers: farmyard manure, vermicompost, spent mushroom compost, under two different ground cover management systems (black polyethylene and wheat straw mulch) on soil nutrient levels and strawberry yield during a two-year production cycle. The application of organic fertilizers, in the amounts equivalent to 170 kg ha -1 N, had the greatest impact on the concentration of available phosphorus, which was significantly higher on fertilized plots than on the control even two years after the application. The plots fertilized with farmyard manure and mushroom compost had higher concentrations of available potassium than the control, while the application of vermicompost did not affect the concentration of available potassium in the soil. The application of composts did not affect the concentration of available microelements in the soil, while the concentrations of Fe, Zn and Cu in the year of the organic fertilizers application were significantly higher on farmyard manure fertilized plots than on the control. The application of all three organic fertilizers had a significant effect on the mineral N concentration in the soil only in the year of the application and the following spring. However, the plots covered with polyethylene mulch had a higher mineral N concentration than the control at all sampling times. The concentration of available microelements was significantly higher in soil covered with black polyethylene mulch than in soil covered with straw mulch. Preplant application of organic fertilizers led to increase of yield, ranging from 14.3% in vermicompost treatmet to 17.3% in the farmyard manure treatment in relation to the control, only in the 1 st fruiting year. However, the application of polyethylene mulch facilitated a higher strawberry yield than straw mulch in both fruiting years.

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