The present study investigates the influence of on-tree fruit bagging on the quality and shelf life of mango (Mangifera indica L. cv. ‘Samar Bahisht Chaunsa’) during cold storage (12 °C ± 1; 85–90% RH) for 0, 10 and 20 days (d) and subsequent shelf storage under ambient conditions (25 °C ± 1; 60–65% RH). Fruits were covered with brown paper bags at the marble stage and then harvested at commercial maturity. Results showed that 0 d and 10 d cold-stored fruits, irrespective of bagging treatments, retained eatable quality and shelf-life up to 7 d and 5 d during ambient storage, respectively. However, bagged fruits had better postharvest performance compared with non-bagged fruits by exhibiting slower weight loss, higher fruit firmness, more total soluble solids, vitamin C and total phenolic content and higher activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase during cold storage and ambient shelf storage. On the other hand, 20 d cold-stored fruits, both bagged and non-bagged, were decayed when kept under ambient conditions. It is proposed that mango fruit bagging could be a potential cultural practice to preserve postharvest quality up to 10 d of cold storage, followed by 5 d under ambient conditions.

Plant growth, development, and productivity are adversely affected under drought conditions. Previous findings indicated that 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and 24-epibrassinolide (EBL) play an important role in the plant response to adverse environmental conditions. This study demonstrated the role of ALA and EBL on oxidative stress and photosynthetic capacity of drought-stressed ‘Williams’ banana grown under the Egyptian semi-arid conditions. Exogenous application of either ALA or EBL at concentrations of 15, 30, and 45 mg·L⁻¹ significantly restored plant photosynthetic activity and increased productivity under reduced irrigation; this was equivalent to 75% of the plant’s total water requirements. Both compounds significantly reduced drought-induced oxidative damages by increasing antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase ‘SOD’, catalase ‘CAT’, and peroxidase ‘POD’) and preserving chloroplast structure. Lipid peroxidation, electrolyte loss and free non-radical H₂O₂ formation in the chloroplast were noticeably reduced compared to the control, but chlorophyll content and photosynthetic oxygen evolution were increased. Nutrient uptake, auxin and cytokinin levels were also improved with the reduced abscisic acid levels. The results indicated that ALA and EBL could reduce the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and maintain the stability of the chloroplast membrane structure under drought stress. This study suggests that the use of ALA or EBL at 30 mg·L⁻¹ can promote the growth, productivity and fruit quality of drought-stressed banana plants.

Organic fertilization improves soil fertility and ameliorates the deleterious effects of accumulated salts in soil for sustainable agricultural production. This research was carried out on thirteen-year-old Mexican lime trees to study the effect of humic acid (HA), applied as soil (10, 20 or 30 mL·tree⁻¹) and foliar (0.1 or 0.2%) applications, on soil fertility, tree growth, productivity and fruit quality. The experiment was conducted during the 2020 and 2021 seasons in a randomized complete block design of twelve treatments with three replicates with two trees each. Soil and foliar applications of HA were performed once and twice a month in Marsh, May and July, respectively. HA enhanced the soil’s N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu and B availability and microbial activity, in addition to improved tree growth, canopy size, leaf chlorophyll and nutrient contents with reduced proline levels. The total yield and number of fruit per tree were increased with increased HA levels. Fruit weight, juice and soluble solids were also increased. The best results were achieved with the combined soil (30 mL·tree⁻¹) and foliar (0.2%) applications of HA, which indicated a great potential to alleviate the effects of salinity stress on Mexican lime growth and productivity.

Drought is regarded as one of the environmental constraints threatening agriculture worldwide. Melatonin is a pleiotropic molecule prevalent in plants capable of promoting plant endogenous resilience to many environmental challenges including drought. Banana is an important staple food consumed in developing countries especially in Africa. In this research, we studied the role of melatonin in the growth of bananas subjected to drought under the Egyptian semi-arid conditions. To achieve this objective, a field experiment on banana (Musa spp., cv. Williams) mother plants and first ratoon was conducted on a private farm for two seasons - 2019 and 2020. Three irrigation treatments, 100, 90 and 80% irrigation water requirements (IWR) were used in conjunction with four concentrations of melatonin as a foliar spray (0 μmol, 40 μmol, 60 μmol, and 80 μmol) to determine the effect of both treatments on banana plant performance under drought. The results showed that there was a substantial difference between treatments, with the foliar application of melatonin at 80 μmol concentration improving most of the yield attributes, relative water content, total chlorophyll and proline with water deficit. However, the foliar application of the molecule lowered the biochemical characteristics mostly at 80% IWR under the Egyptian semi-arid conditions. Overall, there was a concentration-dependent response with regards to IWR for the two seasons 2019 and 2020.

The grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is one of the most profitable fruit crops globally. 'Early Sweet' stands out as one of the earliest grape varieties to be commercially marketed. Three amino acids (alanine, glutamine, and tryptophan) were applied as foliar sprays at concentrations of 100, 200, and 300 ppm, at three key growth stages: the start of growth, full bloom, and version. This study was carried out over two consecutive seasons (2021 and 2022) in Mansoura City, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt (31° 26' 45.6" E, 31° 07' 19.2" N). The experiment was conducted on 6-year-old Early Sweet grapevines grown under surface irrigation in clay soil. Vines trained a quadrilateral cordon trellis system with supported by Spanish baron system. The results indicated that spraying the vines with amino acids (alanine, glutamine, and tryptophan) significantly enhanced yield per vine, bunch weight, berry weight, soluble solids content, total sugars, and carotenoid content, while reducing the incidence of shot berries and total acidity in the berries. Additionally, the treatments improved internode length and thickness, pruning wood weight, ripening wood, and total carbohydrates in canes, as well as shoot length, number of leaves per shoot, and leaf area. There were also increases in the percentages of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and total chlorophyll in the leaves compared to the control group in both seasons. All measured parameters showed a gradual improvement with increasing concentrations of amino acids. Overall, these amino acids could be recommended for application in Early Sweet vineyards.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a nutrient-rich fruit known for its vibrant red seeds, sweet-tart flavor, and numerous health benefits, making it a popular choice in diets worldwide. Several postharvest treatments have been applied to maintain the quality and extend the shelf life of pomegranate arils. Pomegranate quality problems persist in the majority of producing regions despite the growing demand for fruit worldwide, resulting in significant postharvest losses and waste. In both experimental seasons (2023 and 2024), “Wonderful” pomegranate fruits were picked at the complete maturity stage according to quality indices. Thus, this experiment aimed to verify the efficiency of post-harvest applications of Gum Arabic (GA) at 10% on quality attributes and bioactive compound content of “Wonderful” pomegranates quality during ambient room conditions (25 ± 2 o C and 85% RH). The results revealed that GA at 10% was significantly effective in decreasing loss in fruit weight, juice percentage, SSC, PH values, total phenolic contents, anthocyanin peel and juice content as well as increased tannins, ascorbic acid, and total antioxidant activity comparing with the control treatment. In addition, GA maintained greater titratable acidity content. In general, the obtained data demonstrated that GA treatment had a beneficial impact that extended shelf life and time storage of Wonderful pomegranate fruits by reducing senescence/decomposition of fruits, delaying ripening, and maintaining quality parameters.