Tree thinning affects the physicochemical characteristics and bioactive compounds in ‘Barton’ and ‘Melhorada’ pecan cultivars

Abstract

The production and consumption of pecan nuts have been on the rise in recent times, which renders it necessary to study the best production practices to increase the yield, enhance the flavor, and maintain the bioactive components in the final product. The present study, therefore, aimed to verify the effects of tree thinning on the physicochemical characteristics and bioactive components in pecan under the cultivation conditions of Santa Rosa, Rio Grande do Sul. The pecan plants were submitted to two types of management - with thinning and without thinning, following which the fruits were evaluated for physical (size, weight, and color) and chemical (physicochemical composition, oxidative stability, fatty acid profile, and tocopherols) attributes. The results revealed that the thinning of plants increased the size and mass of both nuts and kernels while reducing the acid content and peroxides in the kernels and increasing the γ-tocopherol levels. The other quality evaluations did not reveal any significant alterations after plant thinning.