Canopy attachment position influences metabolism and peel constituency of European pear fruit

Abstract

BackgroundInconsistent pear fruit ripening resulting from variable harvest maturity within tree canopies can contribute to postharvest losses through senescence and spoilage that would otherwise be effectively managed using crop protectant and storage regimes. Because those inconsistencies are likely based on metabolic differences, non-targeted metabolic profiling peel of ‘d’Anjou’ pears harvested from the external or internal canopy was used to determine the breadth of difference and link metabolites with canopy position during long-term controlled atmosphere storage.ResultsDifferences were widespread, encompassing everything from expected distinctions in flavonol glycoside levels between peel of fruit from external and internal canopy positions to increased aroma volatile production and sucrose hydrolysis with ripening. Some of the most substantial differences were in levels of triterpene and phenolic peel cuticle components among which acyl esters of ursolic acid and fatty acyl esters of p-coumaryl alcohol were higher in the cuticle of fruit from external tree positions, and acyl esters of α-amyrin were elevated in peel of fruit from internal positions. Possibly the most substantial dissimilarities were those that were directly related to fruit quality. Phytosterol conjugates and sesquiterpenes related to elevated superficial scald risk were higher in pears from external positions which were to be potentially rendered unmarketable by superficial scald. Other metabolites associated with fruit aroma and flavor became more prevalent in external fruit peel as ripening progressed and, likewise, with differential soluble solids and ethylene levels, suggesting the final product not only ripens differentially but the final fruit quality following ripening is actually different based on the tree position.ConclusionsGiven the impact tree position appears to have on the most intrinsic aspects of ripening and quality, every supply chain management strategy would likely lead to diverse storage outcomes among fruit from most orchards, especially those with large canopies. Metabolites consistently associated with peel of fruit from a particular canopy position may provide targets for non-destructive pre-storage sorting used to reduce losses contributed by this inconsistency.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12870-018-1544-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Cuticular waxes of nectarines during fruit development in relation to surface conductance and susceptibility to Monilinia laxa

“…p -Coumaroyl-triterpenoids constituted approximately 1% of the wax compounds at maturity ( Table 2 ). Similar hydroxycinnamate esters of triterpenoids have been detected in apple ( McGhie et al , 2012 ) and pear peels ( Serra et al , 2018 ). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of these compounds in the cuticular waxes of rosaceous fruits.…”

“… Lv et al (2016) showed that the contents of oleanolic and ursolic acids on the shaded side of apples were higher than those on the sun-exposed side. In pear peels, the levels of the different triterpene groups showed significant and contrasting variations depending on the fruit position in the canopy ( Serra et al , 2018 ).…”

Consumer perception of d'Anjou pear classified by dry matter at harvest using near‐infrared spectroscopy

“…In other words, low predicted dry matter fruits were generally evaluated less favourably in Orchard 2 than in Orchard 1 among most sensory attributes, and high dry matter fruits were evaluated more favourably in Orchard 2 than in Orchard 1. This would seem to suggest the quality variation introduced from the older, larger open‐canopy trees that characterise Orchard 2 (Serra et al ., ) is detectible by the consumer, particularly at the margins of what constitutes market‐acceptable fruit. As well, fruits grown in 2016 were generally more liked across numerous attributes than fruits grown in 2017.…”

Early metabolic priming under differing carbon sufficiency conditions influences peach fruit quality development

“…Characterizing fruit metabolic shifts in response to preharvest factors is key to fruit quality improvement, as several of these compounds contribute to organoleptic characteristics that correlate with consumer preference. Many studies have reported effects of various preharvest and orchard factors on tree fruit quality (Minas et al, 2018, Musacchi andSerra, 2018). However, despite the enormous advances in "omics" sciences, few experiments have addressed the influence of these preharvest factors on fruit quality at the metabolic level (Monti et al, 2016;Serra et al, 2018;Michailidis et al, 2020).…”

“…Many studies have reported effects of various preharvest and orchard factors on tree fruit quality (Minas et al, 2018, Musacchi andSerra, 2018). However, despite the enormous advances in "omics" sciences, few experiments have addressed the influence of these preharvest factors on fruit quality at the metabolic level (Monti et al, 2016;Serra et al, 2018;Michailidis et al, 2020). Furthermore, it is important to highlight that these previous studies did not control for equal maturity when analyzing fruit coming from various preharvest conditions.…”