Peach production in Georgia, USA, extends from mid-May to mid-August. Multiple cultivars are commercially grown in the U.S., and each cultivar has unique fruit quality characteristics, which could influence consumer perception and acceptability. Among those, peach flavor has been minimally characterized among cultivars. Headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS–SPME) combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was used to characterize the volatile profile of 42 peach cultivars commercially grown in 2016. The goal of this research was to understand the aroma composition and content of peach cultivars grown in Georgia, USA. Thirty-six volatile compounds were identified. Significant differences (p ≤ 0.0001) were observed for all the flavor volatiles across all cultivars being evaluated. Esters were the major compounds isolated from the 42 peach cultivars, followed by lactones, alcohols, aldehydes, and terpenoids, in that order. Lactones, benzaldehyde, and linalool, which are known to be peach aroma compounds, exhibited the highest mean concentrations among the cultivars with ɣ- and δ-decalactones having a concentration of approximately 180 ng·g⁻¹ and 60 ng·g⁻¹, respectively. Among the cultivars, “Majestic” had the highest mean concentration of ɣ-decalactone, followed by “Southern Pearl” with approximately 503 ng·g⁻¹ and 443 ng·g⁻¹, respectively. “Southern Pearl” and “Fairtime” also exhibited the highest average concentration of δ-decalactone. The results obtained will help provide an understanding of the distribution of the various volatile organic compounds found in Georgia-grown peach cultivars.

Prunus serotina is divided into five subspecies. Among these, P. serotina subsp. capuli, commonly known as capuli, is native to Central and South America. Its fruits are big, sweet, and consumed by locals in various forms, with the Ecuadorian Andes region providing the best fruit forms of capuli. The objective of this study was to characterize a collection of different genotypes of capuli’s fruit, and their endocarps, found growing in the wild in the Chimborazo, Tungurahua, and Cotopaxi provinces of Ecuador. The fruits were characterized for weight (11.7–50.3 g), diameter (12.4–21.7 mm), height (11.4–19.7 mm), and soluble solids content (SSC) (13.4–27.6 °Brix) across two years. Similarly, the endocarps’ diameters (7.5–12.2 mm) and heights (8.1–13.6 mm) were measured. Significant differences were found for all the fruit and endocarp variables studied. A multivariate analysis showed that all the fruit and endocarp size characteristics, except SSC, were positively correlated with each other within a season. No clear population differentiation was seen among the genotypes from different provinces, suggesting a lack of clear morphological differentiation. The future breeding and selection of a capuli with superior, commercial, large fruit and a high SSC shows great potential.

Ecosystem services (ES) refer to the benefits that people obtain from the ecosystem. In this sense, Prunus serotina is associated with the provision of ES; however, these services have been scarcely studied. The objective of this research was to determine the knowledge and perceptions of individuals in rural areas regarding the importance of ES, as well as the factors that influence them. Surveys were applied in three study areas (Chimborazo, Tungurahua, and Cotopaxi) of the central Andes of Ecuador that detailed the sociodemographic and perception characteristics of ES based on the predefined ES of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA). In the assessment, the interview data were analyzed to obtain the relationships between the variables using Spearman’s correlation in the R-studio software. The results showed that individuals’ level of education, age, and gender play an important role in variations in peoples’ knowledge of ES. A total of 21 ES were identified; the most representative services, according to their ecosystem category, were support (shelter for birds and insects and soil formation), provisioning (food, insecticide, wood, and firewood), regulation (improvement in the quality of air and climate regulation), and culture (scenic beauty and the maintenance of traditions). This analysis of the social perception of ES works as a strategy for the maintenance of Prunus serotina in the orchards and plots of families in the central Andes of Ecuador. The identification of ES through the social perception of their existence facilitates an understanding of the importance of ES in rural localities, which lays the foundation for strategies to be developed in the future for their conservation.

Carotenoids serve as protective antioxidants, and function in normal vision, bone growth, cell division and differentiation, and reproduction. Winter squash ( Cucurbita spp.) is an excellent dietary source of carotenoids. The range of colors from yellow to red in Cucurbita species indicates that increasing carotenoid levels through plant breeding is possible. The objective of this research was to determine the heritability of flesh color in winter squash in both Cucurbita moschata Duchesne and Cucurbita pepo L. Segregating families representing F ₂ , BC _1P1 and BC _1P2 populations were created in two families of C. pepo (‘Table Gold Acorn’ × PI 314806 and ‘Table King Bush’ × PI 314806) and one family of C. moschata (‘Butterbush’ × ‘Sucrine DuBerry’). Broad-sense heritabilities were calculated for the F ₂ , BC _1P1 , and BC _1P2 populations within each of the three families. Heritabilities ranged from 0.19 to 0.82 for L*, 0.28 to 0.97 for chroma, and 0.12 to 0.87 for hue across all families. Transgressive segregation for color space values L* was identified in the ‘Table King Bush’ × PI 314806 C. pepo population. Our results indicate that it is possible to breed for improved flesh color in Cucurbita , but the population size and number of test locations for evaluation need to be increased to provide better heritability estimates. Cucurbita species are grown throughout the world and their availability and low price makes them an important potential source of carotenoids for human nutrition and health for all ages.

Prunus serotina (black cherry) is native to America and has five subspecies: serotina, eximia, hirsuta, virens, and capuli. P. serotina subsp. capuli is found in Central and South America with superior fruits found in Ecuador. These have large, juicy, and tasty fruits used for human consumption. They are available in produce markets and have important nutraceutical properties. However, no commercial cultivars of capuli are currently available. The main goal of this research was to understand if different morphological characters can differentiate unique populations of P. serotina subsp. capuli present in Ecuador. Morphological traits (tree, leaf, and flower) of plants grown from the OP seeds of 44 capuli accessions collected from three provinces of Ecuador (Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, and Tungurahua) were characterized in 2019 and 2020. Tree measurements included the number of primary branches and growth habit. Leaf measurements included petiole length, leaf area, leaf height, leaf width, leaf apex angle, and leaf basal angle. Flower measurements included pedicel length, flower width, and flower length. Raceme length, number of racemes per branch, and number of flowers per raceme were also characterized. ANOVA were performed with significant differences observed among capuli accessions for all variables measured. No clear differences were observed across regions with PCA and cluster analysis that may support the presence of different populations.