Vicente Serna-Escolano

‘Femminello Zagara Bianca’ is one of the most important lemon cultivars in Sicilian citriculture. This study evaluated how flowering period (early-season ‘Primofiore’ and late-season Verdello, obtained by forcing technique), rootstock genotype (Citrus volkameriana [VK] and Citrange Carrizo [CC]), and irrigation regime (full irrigation [FI] and summer forcing) affected fruit quality and antioxidant systems of ‘Femminello Zagara Bianca’ lemons. ‘Primofiore’ lemons achieved higher fruit weight, yellow colour, and antioxidant enzyme activities (ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, and peroxidase) than Verdello lemon fruit. The forcing technique enhanced total soluble solids, titratable acidity, individual sugars, organic acids, and flavedo flavonoids (hesperidin and eriocitrin). The rootstock genotype VK increased fruit weight, while CC combined with forcing showed the highest accumulation of chemical and bioactive compounds. Principal component analysis confirmed that the quality of lemon fruit was determined by the management of the flowering period and irrigation in a rootstock-dependent manner. Therefore, these findings provide growers with a strategy for utilising specific scion–rootstock–irrigation combinations to ensure high-value fruit throughout the harvest season.

The globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus L.) is one of the most economically important vegetable crops in Spain. ‘Blanca de Tudela’ is the most widely grown and consumed cultivar and it is also highly valued on international export markets. Postharvest preservation is crucial for maintaining the quality of this highly perishable product. This study focused on comparing the effectiveness of two different postharvest strategies in preserving the quality of whole artichokes and extending their shelf-life: packaging in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), and pre-cooling to 4 °C followed by MAP. In addition, one batch of artichokes was stored under refrigeration conditions, i.e., without packaging, at a temperature of 2 °C and a relative humidity of 85%. Parameters such as respiration rate, weight loss, firmness, total phenolic content, chlorophyll levels and visual sensorial quality were analyzed throughout 42 days of refrigerated storage at 2 °C. The results showed that non-packed artichokes exhibited rapid deterioration, with weight loss exceeding 45% and phenolic and chlorophyll content decreasing by over 50% and 78%, respectively, by the end of the storage period. In contrast, MAP drastically reduced quality deterioration, reduced weight loss to 2%, and preserved approximately 60% more phenolic compounds. The combined application of pre-cooling and MAP further enhanced preservation, reducing weight loss by an additional 25% compared to MAP alone and retaining nearly double the chlorophyll content. Thus, this treatment also ensured the highest preservation of phenolic compounds, with final values about 45% higher than MAP alone. Visual sensory assessment confirmed that both MAP and Pre-cooling + MAP maintained acceptable appearance and consumer-relevant quality parameters throughout storage. Overall, the results of this study indicate that MAP, particularly when combined with pre-cooling, effectively maintained the physical, biochemical, and sensory quality of whole ‘Blanca de Tudela’ artichokes over 42 days under cold storage conditions, demonstrating the potential of this integrated strategy to support postharvest preservation for long-distance export markets.

The Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. industry suffers significant losses due to fungal diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of sodium benzoate (SB) and potassium sorbate (PS) on the incidence of fungal decay and fruit quality when used as preharvest treatments on Fino lemon trees over two consecutive seasons (2021–2023). Lower concentrations of SB and PS (0.1% and 0.5%) applied in one or two treatments successfully controlled fungal decay. On average, SB achieved a greater reduction in decay, ranging from 45% to 60%, compared to PS’s reduction of 25% to 50%. This approach minimised the negative impact on lemon fruit quality, in contrast to the highest doses (more than 1%) and the greatest number of applications (more than three times), which increased lemon susceptibility to decay. Furthermore, lemons treated with 0.5% SB twice enhanced antioxidant systems, showing a 35% increase in total phenolic content in the flavedo at harvest compared to the control. Consequently, the application of 0.5% SB twice at preharvest emerges as a promising and potential alternative to conventional fungicides for effective fungal decay control and maintenance of acceptable lemon quality traits during cold storage.

BACKGROUND: The almond industry requires new strategies to improve almond kernel quality. The use of biostimulants such as potassium silicate (KSi) is an eco‐friendly and non‐polluting alternative. The aim of this work was to investigate the preharvest application of KSi solutions at 2 and 20 mmol L ⁻¹ to ‘Peraleja’ almond trees during two consecutive seasons to elucidate the effect on almond kernel quality at harvest. RESULTS: The fresh weight, length and width of almond kernels treated with 20 mmol L ⁻¹ KSi increased by 27%, 31% and 8%, respectively, compared to the controls. Furthermore, almonds treated with 20 mmol L ⁻¹ KSi had a more elongated morphological appearance, while with 2 mmol L ⁻¹ KSi almonds were more spherical. Regarding nutrients, phosphorus and potassium levels increased in almonds treated with 2 mmol L ⁻¹ KSi, while magnesium content decreased with both KSi treatments. Total antioxidant activity and total phenolic content increased in almonds treated with 20 mmol L ⁻¹ KSi. In addition, significant differences in fatty acid levels were observed, particularly in oleic and linoleic acids. On average, the oleic–linoleic acid ratio of almonds treated with 2 mmol L ⁻¹ KSi was 28% higher than those treated with 20 mmol L ⁻¹ KSi and the controls. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that the preharvest application of KSi is a valuable tool, as growers can use different KSi concentrations to target specific improvements in almond kernel quality, including physical attributes and nutritional composition. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

The growing consumer interest in healthy and convenient food has led to an increased demand for fresh-cut vegetables, including artichokes, which are known for their bioactive compounds like antioxidants and polyphenols. However, artichokes are highly susceptible to browning, as their high phenol content complicates processing into ready-to-eat products. This study evaluated the suitability of three artichoke cultivars (‘Lorca’, ‘Tupac’, and ‘Green Queen’) for fresh-cut processing, focusing on flower head order (main, secondary, tertiary). Artichokes were processed as fresh-cut hearth slices, stored for 7 days at 2 °C and 85% relative humidity, and assessed for total phenolic content (day 0) and browning index (days 0, 1, 3, 5, 7). Sensory analysis was performed until day 3. Results revealed that tertiary heads, especially from the ‘Green Queen’ cultivar, exhibited the highest phenolic content but also greater susceptibility to browning, whereas main heads, lower in polyphenols (particularly from the ‘Lorca’ and ‘Tupac’ cultivars), showed minor browning indices and higher consumer acceptability. These parameters displayed a strong negative correlation coefficient (>−0.9), indicating that an increase in browning directly impacts sensory rejection. This study highlights the importance of cultivar and flower head order selection, providing valuable insights to enhance the quality and commercial viability of minimally processed artichoke products.

In modern orchard systems, the tree canopy is designed to ensure homogeneity in fruit quality. However, even in those crops there are some variables that affect the fruit maturation process and fruit quality properties. The aim of this work was to determine if canopy layer (upper vs. lower), fruit shoot position (grouped vs. individual) and orientation (west vs. east) affect fruit quality attributes of ‘Sanguinelli’ blood oranges. Thus, different quality traits, such as weight, internal colour (IC), external colour (EC), total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA) and maturity index (MI) were determined for this purpose. Results showed that fruit weight, internal colour, TA and MI were influenced by the number of fruits per shoot. In this sense, the highest values of weight, IC and MI were found in the grouped fruits, while the highest values in TA were in the individual fruits. Regarding the EC and TSS, they were strongly related to the canopy layer, since the highest values were found in fruit located at the upper parts of the canopy. On the contrary, the orientation did not have a significant effect on fruit quality properties. Therefore, consistent differences in quality traits of ‘Sanguinelli’ blood oranges fruits were observed depending on canopy layer and number of fruits per shoot.

Los productores de limón demandan estrategias y herramientas que les permitan mejorar la gestión de los frutos. En este sentido, la posición del limón ‘Fino’ en el árbol puede determinar la calidad del fruto en el momento de la recolección, mientras que el sistema de conservación aplicado en post-cosecha colabora en mantener estables dichas características iniciales. Por lo tanto, en este trabajo se ha estudiado el efecto de la posición del limón en el árbol (fuera y dentro) conservado durante 15 días a 10 ºC. Los resultados tras 15 días de almacenamiento refrigerado mostraron que la tasa de respiración y las pérdidas de peso fueron menores en los frutos recolectados en las zonas internas del árbol. En cambio, color (a*), sólidos solubles totales y acidez titulable fueron superiores en los frutos de las zonas externas. Respecto al contenido en fenoles totales y actividad antioxidante total, los resultados mostraron una mayor concentración en la zona inferior del árbol. Por lo tanto, un manejo adecuado de los frutos durante la recolección y la aplicación de estrategias de frío colaborarían en mantener unos parámetros de calidad óptima del limón durante su comercialización.