Introduction. Strawberry is basically a temperate fruit, but, due to itsshort production cycle (100–120 days), it has now become the fastest growing crop in thetropical and sub-tropical regions of the Asian nations. In India, farmers of northernplain regions transplant the strawberries before the onset of the winter and keep onharvesting until early summer. Not much is known about the impact of the harvesting season(winter and summer) on the accumulation of health-promoting substances or on qualitytraits. Considering the existing research gaps and practical utility, the present studywas undertaken. Materials and methods. Four varieties were grown on raisedbeds with black polythene mulch, and a drip and fertigation system. Fruits were harvestedat the ¾ colour (scarlet) development stage and observations were recorded on differentphysiological and functional attributes consecutively during three harvesting months.Results and discussion. Our results indicated that both cultivars andharvesting months affected the physiology and functional quality of strawberry fruit.Anthocyanin, ascorbic acid and total antioxidants were found to be higher during March.Ascorbic acid content registered ≈ 50% reduction during advance summer harvesting (April).Among the tested varieties, Camarosa gave better results during all three harvestingmonths in terms of desirable quality traits. Conclusion. Our findings showthat there are some varieties such as Camarosa which have the potential to producefunctionally superior fruits over other cultivars even during early summer. Theinformation presented may be helpful in selection of suitable cultivars, and postharvesthandling and processing measures for strawberry fruits harvested during differentmonths.

Introduction. Superficial scald is one of the most economically seriouspostharvest disorders of apples. The optimal harvest window and 1-MCP treatmentsignificantly diminish the risk of storage scald and retain quality of apples stored in anormal atmosphere. Materials and methods. Fruits from three different harvestdates (23rd and 30th September, and 7th October 2008) were treated with 1-MCP(SmartFreshTM) immediately after harvest, and stored in a normal atmosphere(1 ± 0.5) °C for 180 days followed by a shelf-life period of 7 days at (21 ± 1) °C.Assessments of superficial scald severity, firmness, total soluble solids and titratableacidity were recorded at days 1 and 7 after storage. Organoleptic quality assessments weremade after the shelf-life period. Results. 1-MCP treatment was able tocontrol superficial scald before and after shelf life in fruits from the last two harvesttimes. The highest scald values during shelf life were observed in untreated and1-MCP-treated fruits from the earliest harvest (3.6 and 2.3, respectively). 1-MCP andearly harvest time were determined to have a positive effect on retention of firmness andtitratable acidity during storage. Total soluble solids was not affected by 1-MCPtreatment. Combination of 1-MCP treatment and mid- or late harvest time gave the bestevaluation scores for organoleptic quality. Conclusion. Our results show that1-MCP treatments of late-harvested “Granny Smith” apples could offer satisfactory resultsfor long-term air storage considering both the absence of superficial scald and retentionof fruit quality.

Introduction. Since citrus fruits are non-climacteric, commercial harvest for a given variety can occur over a prolonged period in the same orchard. Delayed citrus harvest has previously been reported to influence fruit quality variables during the current season and to reduce the subsequent year’s yield. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of harvest date on tree yield and fruit quality of two late-maturing Valencia orange varieties during two successive years. Materials and methods. One hundred 9-year-old Campbell and Lue Gim Gong Valencia orange trees budded on Swingle citrumelo rootstock were used. Fruit sampling included fruit harvest at five monthly intervals (April-August) during 2003, and only one harvest date (20 June) during 2004. Results and discussion. Based on seasonal variation of various fruit quality variables during the five harvests conducted in 2003, the most stable fruit quality variables were fruit weight, number of seeds per fruit, rind thickness, juice content and soluble solids content. In general, both varieties produced fruit with similar internal quality characteristics. However, their mean fruit weight differed in 2004 (Lue Gim Gong had larger fruit than Campbell). Furthermore, the annual and cumulative yields of Lue Gim Gong Valencia orange trees over two years were significantly higher than those of Campbell orange trees. Finally, the yield per tree and fruit quality of both varieties in 2003 and 2004 were not affected significantly by the date of harvest during 2003.

Introduction. The grapefruit tree has a long production period. In the Jordan Valley, harvest lasts from November to March. Many Jordanian farmers tend to harvest their fruit early to get high prices, regardless of its quality. Thus, the effect of the harvesting date on fruit quality of grapefruit cv. ‘Red Blush’ was evaluated under Jordan Valley conditions for two seasons, 2002 and 2003. Materials and methods. Fruit quality of uniform 25-year-old grapefruit cv. ‘Red Blush’ trees budded on sour orange rootstock was studied during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. Fruits were harvested from October 15 in both seasons with 15-day intervals with a total of eight harvests. The studied data were total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), the [TSS/TA] ratio and juice percentage. Results and discussion. Fruit total soluble solids and fruit juice percentages were at a minimal level during early harvesting dates and increased with time, reaching the maximum level on January 1 for TSS and January 15 for fruit juice percentage in the first season and on December 15 and February 1, respectively, in the second season, after that TSS decreased. Fruit titratable acidity values were at maximal levels during early harvesting dates (October 15) and decreased with time, reaching the minimum level on February 1 in the first season and on January 15 in the second season. The [TSS/TA] ratio ranged from 5.5 to 6.0 between January 1 and February 1 in the first season, and between December 1 and January 15 in the second season. Conclusion. Our study displayed that Jordan Valley growers are harvesting their grapefruits much too early to provide acceptable eating quality fruits to local markets.

Ten hays harvested at three stages (early bloom MB, mid bloom MB or in seed) made from lucerne (Medicago sativaj, sweet clover (Melilotus segetalis), Persian clover (Trifolium resupinatum) and pre-bloom (PB) Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum var.), were offered ad libitum to four Merino male sheep and daily intake (g dry matter (DM) per kg M0·75) and DM apparent digestibility (DMD) were measured. In sacco DM degradation (g per 100 g DM), gas production (ml per 200 mg DM), in vitro digestibility and fibre composition (g/kg DM) of the hays were also studied. Gas production or DM degradation were calculated at 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 or 96 h and their kinetics were described using the equation p = a + b(1 - e-ct). Intake and in vivo DMD of the hays were variable (P < 0·01). Lucerne EB and Persian clover (all stages) had the highest nutritive value, whereas sweet clover (all stages) had the lowest. Apart from neutral-detergent fibre, which was only related to intake (r = -0·68; P < 0·05), chemical components and in vitro digestibility were poorly (P > 0·05) related to animal performance. Between 12 and 96 h incubation, intake and in vivo DMD were better related to DM degradation (r = 0·79 to 0·83; r = 0·61 to 0·77) than to gas production (r = 0·73 to 0·80; r = 0·58 to 0·78). Prediction of intake and in vivo DMD from the (a + b) values did not provide a great advantage over using some of the static values of gas production or DM degradation.

Multiple regression using separated kinetics of degradation resulted in highest accuracy for predicting intake and apparent digestibility from gas production (R2 = 0·63; R2 = 0·78) and nylon bag degradability (R2 = 0·77; R2 = 0·89). It was concluded that the gas test has good potentiality as it was capable of predicting not only apparent digestibility, but also intake to a level close to that of the nylon bag technique.

An irrigated permanent mountain meadow (Leon, Spain) was cut twice in 1987, in late June, and again in early September after the summer regrowth. Herbage harvested from each season was preserved by different methods, namely freezing (fresh), ensiling in plastic bags (silage) and sun-curing (hay). Rumen degradation characteristics were determined by the nylon bag technique. Forages harvested in September had a higher crude protein (CP) concentration (153 v. 104 g/kg dry matter (DM)) and a lower cell wall concentration (467 v. 599 g/kg DM) than those from the June cut, resulting in a greater DM potential degradability (0·856 v. 0·751) and a faster degradation rate (0·088 v. 0·057 per h). Method of conservation did not affect the CP concentration of the forages, but had a significant effect on their nitrogen (N) solubility and protein degradability. Hay had the lowest N solubility (0·388) and CP degradability. Ensiling led to an increase in the N solubility (0·668 v. 0·554) compared with the fresh control, resulting in a higher effective degradability of CP estimated for different rates of passage. Forage conservation caused a slight increase in the relative proportion of the cell wall in the total DM (mean neutral-detergent fibre concentrations for fresh forage, hay and silage were 510, 548 and 536 g/kg DM, respectively) presumably due to loss of cell contents. Potential DM degradabilities of fresh forage, hay and silage were similar (0·805, 0·813 and 0·791 respectively). Although hay seemed to be degraded to a greater extent and at a faster rate than the other two types of forages, the rumen degradation characteristics were not consistently affected by the method of conservation to an extent that could have important nutritional implications.