Montmorency tart cherries (MC) have been found to modulate indices of vascular function with interventions of varying duration. The objective of this preliminary study was to identify the chronic effects of MC supplementation on vascular function and the potential for urinary metabolomics to provide mechanistic evidence. We performed a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomised study on 23 healthy individuals (18M, 7F) that consumed 30 ml MC or a placebo twice daily for 28 days. Whole body measures of vascular function and spot urine collections were taken at baseline and after supplementation. There were no significant changes to vascular function including blood pressure and arterial stiffness. Urinary metabolite profiling highlighted significant changes (P < 0⋅001) with putative discriminatory metabolites related to tryptophan and histidine metabolism. Overall, MC supplementation for 28 days does not improve indices of vascular function but changes to the urinary metabolome could be suggestive of potential mechanisms.

Geographical indications (GIs) are valuable attributes that enhance the competitiveness of agri-food products, generate added value and revitalize rural environments. The aim of this work was to analyze the attributes spring fruit consumers associate with GIs when they decide to purchase these products. Moreover, the changes in these associations with the increasing distance between the region of production and the place of consumption were also evaluated. We specifically analyzed two GIs used for spring fruits: the protected geographical indication for Mountain Cherries from Alicante (Spain) and the protected designation of origin for Loquats from Callosa d'En Sarriá (Spain). Data were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. The results show the significant association in consumers' minds between the preference for GI fruit and the importance attributed to the place of production (origin). The association of different attributes with the GI fruit label is product dependent as the number of attributes associated in the case of cherries (origin, organic, color and variety) is higher than for loquats (origin and variety). Regarding the distance between the production area and the place of consumption, our findings suggest that the closer the consumer is to the GI area of influence, the more attributes they associate with these labels. In this regard, increasing the knowledge of the GI labels beyond their area of influence could boost the demand for these products as consumers would be aware of the different quality attributes concentrated in that label.

Glyphosate is an important component of herbicide programs in orchard crops in California. It can be applied alone or in tank-mix combinations under the crop rows or to the entire field and often is used multiple times each year. There has been speculation about the potential impacts of repeated use of glyphosate in perennial crop systems, because of uptake from shallow root systems or indirectly because of effects on nutrient availability in soil. To address these concerns, research was conducted from 2013 to 2020 on key orchard crops to evaluate tree response to glyphosate regimens. Almond, cherry, and prune were evaluated in separate experiments. In each crop, the experimental design was a factorial arrangement of two soil types, four glyphosate rates (0, 1.1, 2.2, and 4.4 kg ae ha−1, applied three times annually), and two post-glyphosate application irrigation treatments. In the first 2 yr of the study, there was no clear impact of the glyphosate regimens on shikimate accumulation or leaf chlorophyll content, which suggested no direct effect on the crop. In the seventh year of the study, after six consecutive years of glyphosate application to the orchard floors, there were no negative impacts of glyphosate application on leaf nutrient concentration or on cumulative trunk growth in any of the three orchard crops. Lack of a negative growth impact even at the highest treatment rate, which included 18 applications of glyphosate totaling nearly 80 kg ae ha−1 glyphosate over the course of the experiment suggest there is not likely a significant risk to tree health of judicious use of the herbicide in these production systems. Given the economic importance of orchard crops in California, and grower and industry concerns about pesticides generally and specifically about glyphosate, these findings are timely contributions to weed management concerns in perennial specialty crops.

This study evaluated the response of sweet cherry to different herbicides applied at rates simulating drift. Chlorsulfuron, thifensulfuron, bromoxynil, 2,4-D, glyphosate, and a combination of 2,4-D and glyphosate were applied on one side of one- and two-year-old established cherry trees at 1/3, 1/10, 1/33, and 1/100 of the maximum rate for small grain production. The order of herbicide phytotoxicity was chlorsulfuron > 2,4-D > glyphosate > 2,4-D + glyphosate > thifensulfuron > bromoxynil. Trees recovered from injury caused by all treatments except higher rates of chlorsulfuron, 2,4-D, and glyphosate. The herbicides caused characteristic symptoms, but some resembled disease, mineral deficiency, and environmental stress symptoms. Therefore, any allegations about herbicide drift based on chronic symptoms should be supported by analysis of plant tissue.

Although Ixodes ricinus ticks are mainly associated with woodland, they are also present in open habitat such as pastures. The distribution of nymphal I. ricinus was monitored by drag sampling the vegetation in May–June 2003 on 61 grazed permanent pastures for cattle located in central France. After selecting explanatory variables from among a set of 155, tick abundance was modelled on the perimeter of the pasture using a negative binomial model that took into account data overdispersion. An abundant tree layer at the perimeter of the pasture associated with a high humidity before sampling greatly enhanced the average number of captured I. ricinus nymphs. The presence of apple or cherry trees around the pasture perimeter, the presence of trees or bushes at the pasture edge, woodland around the pasture and a high number of I. ricinus nymphs in the nearest woodland to the pasture were also favourable to nymph abundance in the pasture. The study highlighted that woodland vegetation associated with humidity and the presence of attractive foraging areas for tick hosts around the pasture played a key role in the abundance of I. ricinus. Finally, the results raised the question of whether and how transfer of ticks between woodland and grazed pastures occurs.

Seeds of cherry (Prunus avium) were germinated and grown for two growing seasons in ambient (∼350 μmol mol−1) or elevated (ambient+∼350 μmol mol−1) CO2 mole fractions in six open-top chambers. The seedlings were fertilized once a week, following Ingestad principles in order to supply mineral nutrients at free-access rates. In the first growing season gradual drought was imposed on rapidly growing cherry seedlings by withholding water for a 6-wk drying cycle. In the second growing season, the rapid onset of drought was imposed at the height of the growing season on the seedlings which had already experienced drought in the first growing season. Elevated [CO2] significantly increased total dry-mass production in both water regimes, but did not ameliorate the growth response to drought of the cherry seedlings subjected to two sequential drying cycles. Water loss did not differ in either well watered or droughted seedlings between elevated and ambient [CO2]; consequently whole-plant water- use efficiency (the ratio of total dry mass produced to total water consumption) was significantly increased. Similar patterns of carbon allocation between shoot and root were found in elevated and ambient [CO2] when the seedlings were the same size. Thus, elevated [CO2] did not improve drought tolerance, but it accelerated ontogenetic development irrespective of water status.

Cherry seedlings (Prunus avium) were grown from seed for two growing seasons in three ambient [CO2] (∼350 μmol mol−1) and three elevated [CO2] (ambient+∼350 μmol mol−1) open-top chambers, and in three outside blocks. A drying cycle was imposed in both the growing seasons to half the seedlings: days 69–115 in the first growing season, and in the second growing season days 212–251 on the same seedlings which had already experienced drought. Stomatal conductance was significantly reduced in elevated [CO2]-grown, unstressed seedlings in both the first and second growing seasons, but was not caused by a decrease in stomatal density. Droughted seedlings showed little or no reduction in stomatal conductance in response to elevated [CO2]. However, stomatal conductance was highly correlated with soil water status. Photosynthetic rate increased significantly in response to elevated [CO2] in both water regimes, leading to improvement in instantaneous transpiration efficiency over the whole duration of the experiment, but there was no relationship between instantaneous transpiration efficiency and long-term water use efficiency. The Amax was strongly reduced in the second growing season, but unaffected by [CO2] treatment. Although photosynthetic rate was not down-regulated, Rubisco activity was decreased by elevated [CO2], possibly because of the increased leaf carbon: nitrogen ratio which had occurred by the ends of the two growing seasons. Elevated [CO2] did not improve plant water relations (for example, bulk leaf – water potential, osmotic potentials at full and zero turgor, relative water content at zero turgor, bulk modulus of elasticity of the cell) and thus did not increase water-stress tolerance of cherry seedlings.