Sweet cherry is a high value crop and the economic success of its cultivation depends not only on yield but also on fruit visual and nutritional quality attributes that influence consumer acceptability, as well as on fruit post-harvest performance and resistance to cracking. During the last few decades, cherry growers have tried to achieve these goals through exogenous applications of synthetic plant hormones and/or nutrients, but there is growing concern about the sustainability of the extensive use of these compounds in agriculture. For this reason, there is increasing interest in the possible adoption of different classes of biostimulants as sustainable alternatives to plant growth regulators. This research aimed to study the impact of foliar application of a novel tropical-plant extract, performed between full bloom and fruit set, on the yield and fruit quality of two important commercial sweet cherry cultivars, Kordia and Regina. The experimental design included a commercial control involving the application of a cytokinin promoter. In both cultivars, the tropical-plant extract induced significant increases in fruit yield. In addition, in the cultivar Kordia, the tropical-plant extract enhanced fruit calcium concentration, soluble solids content, flesh firmness, and skin color by 26.2%, 11.8%, 6.7%, and 12.0% (of fruits with mahogany skin color), respectively. Our results suggest that the tropical-plant extract tested as a biostimulant may be a sustainable and effective alternative to the exogenous application of synthetic hormones for sweet cherry cultivation.

The European plum (Prunus domestica L.) is a worldwide distributed tree species. Italy has an ample number of traditional varieties, but many are neglected and at risk of extinction. This germplasm is still cultivated in rural areas in spite of the EU-28 crisis of the stone fruit sector. Traditional European plum varieties remain poorly characterized, strongly limiting their promotion in local markets, use for farm diversification, and exploitation for local gastronomic products. In this study, we carried out an investigation of the morphological and genetic diversity present in an ex-situ collection of 29 traditional varieties of P. domestica of the Campania region (Southern Italy). The combination of five continuous and five categorical fruit traits allowed us to phenotypically distinguish all the varieties. Similarly, the Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs) employed (five genomic and five deriving from Expressed Sequence Tags) identified a unique molecular profile for each variety. Moreover, the data indicated that the phenotypic and molecular investigations provided different clustering, suggesting that the two analyses sampled different sources of diversity. The number and the distribution of the scored phenotypes as well as the indices of genetic diversity imply the presence of a wide-ranging variation, which may sustain the development of high-value, niche market products. Our work provided evidence that the implementation of measures for a combination of ex-situ and on-farm conservation of traditional European plum varieties should be preferred to avoid the loss of an ample diversity.

Reaching a sufficient yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) content in berries at harvest is considered a main viticultural goal for wine-making, because low YANs can slow down must fermentation and have negative effects on wine sensory attributes. For this reason, many attempts have been made to define correct fertilization strategies to stimulate YAN accumulation in the berries. Foliar application of amino acid-enriched urea fertilizer is considered a promising environmentally friendly strategy for improving the yield and nutrient efficiency of plants. The aim of this two-year research was to study the effects of two fertilizers based on urea enriched with amino acids applied at low doses in diverse phenological stages on berry YAN concentration in ‘Greco’ grapevines. The results of this study indicate that amino acid-enriched urea fertilizers induced an increase in YANs in the ‘Greco’ berries at harvest, but only when the application was undertaken at full veraison. Foliar applications applied at veraison onset or post-veraison appeared to be ineffective. In addition, the fertilizers enhanced YAN accumulation in the berry without modifying the other composition parameters measured in this study (total soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH and malic acid). Therefore, the results of our study suggest that foliar application of urea fertilizers enriched with amino acids is an effective strategy to increase yeast-assimilable nitrogen concentration in grapevine berries at harvest.

The size and number of the berries and the rachis length are the main elements that define bunch compactness in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.). This trait is of scientific and commercial interest because it strongly influences phytosanitary status and quality of the fruits. In this work, we investigated the effect of different canopy management strategies based on apical shoot and/or leaf removal applied at the early stage (pre-bloom) in altering the key determinants of bunch compactness. Specifically, we compared apical defoliation (removal of the first half of the shoot leaves from the top), basal defoliation (removal of the second half), and shoot trimming (removal of the apical half of the shoot) to untreated controls. The work was carried out in two red varieties (‘Aglianico’ and ‘Casavecchia’) that have contrasting bunch compactness (compact and loose, respectively). We measured relevant morphological traits, photosynthetic rates, fertility, fruit set, bunch architecture, and fruit main compositional parameters. This study demonstrates that the position of the removed shoot leaves along with the shoot trimming differentially modified fruit set, the number of berries per bunch, and berry fresh weight and composition at harvest. Nonetheless, the influence on bunch compactness was limited mainly because of photosynthetic and morphological factors strongly associated with the cultivar.

The Annurca type is an historical Italian apple fruit probably native to the Campania region. These fruits are harvested before a full maturity stage and go through an open-field reddening process. Products based on 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) are widely used in postharvest to improve apple quality and avoid disorders in controlled atmosphere. In this work, we tested the impact of 1-MCP in the traditional reddening system of Annurca type by analyzing three postharvest strategies, namely, fruits exposed for ten days to the traditional reddening and then cold-stored (RDG treatment); fruits treated in postharvest with 1-MCP and then cold-stored (MCP treatment); fruits treated in postharvest with 1-MCP, exposed for ten days to the open-field reddening and then cold-stored (MCP + RDG treatment). Using a full factorial design, we measured main physical and compositional traits and described the properties of the products by consumer testing at two storage times. The MCP + RDG treatment provided the most valuable results, by positively affecting fruit flesh firmness and several sensorial attributes (e.g., hardness, crunchiness, juiciness, sweetness), including a reduction of the mealiness. At the end of the cold-storage, MCP + RDG apples scored a higher consumer’s overall liking. The work demonstrated that the 1-MCP technology can be integrated into a traditional open-field postharvest process to improve fruit quality and, potentially, to extend the shelf life of Annurca apples.

The ‘Annurca’ apple, a traditional Italian cultivar protected by the “Melannurca Campana” EU PGI designation, undergoes a mandatory, traditional postharvest reddening process in a melaio. While essential for developing its characteristic flavor and color, this process can also lead to significant textural degradation, resulting in a mealy and soft fruit that conflicts with modern consumer expectations. This study investigated an integrated postharvest strategy to resolve this quality trade-off. We evaluated the sensory profile and consumer acceptance of ‘Annurca’ apples subjected to three treatments: traditional melaio reddening (Melaio), a 1-methylcyclopropene treatment alone (MCP), and a combined treatment of MCP followed by melaio reddening (MCP+Melaio). A panel of 534 consumers evaluated the apples for overall liking and the intensity of seven key sensory attributes. The results showed that the integrated ‘MCP+Melaio’ treatment was significantly preferred (Mean liking = 6.61) over both the traditional ‘Melaio’ (M = 5.91) and ‘MCP’ alone (M = 5.91) treatments. This preference was driven by a superior sensory profile that combined the high crunchiness and low mealiness of the MCP treatment with the high perceived aroma intensity and sweetness developed during the melaio phase. Furthermore, consumer segmentation analysis identified four distinct preference clusters, revealing that the integrated treatment’s success derived from its ability to satisfy the divergent priorities of the two largest segments: “Melaio Fans” (37%) and “Texture & Flavor Seekers” (35%). Our findings demonstrate that combining 1-MCP with traditional practices creates a synergistic effect, producing a high-quality apple that is texturally superior, aromatically intense, and has an extended sensory shelf-life. This integrated approach offers a scientifically validated and practical solution to enhance the quality and consistency of ‘Annurca’ apple production.