Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

The meeting was held in Ithaca, NY and was hosted by Chris Watkins. Brad Hillman, the administrative advisor, gave an update on the funding situation and reported that the project renewal for NE1036 was successful. Dan MacLean was elected secretary and accepted the role. Next year's meetings will be held in New Hampshire, prior to the Gordon Conference. Renae Moran agreed to organize next year's meeting.

Accomplishments of Canadian collaborators can be found in the minutes and are not listed here due to space limitations. All three milestones for 2009 were accomplished. 1. Publish two or more studies on the effects of storage regimes on fruit and antioxidant composition. Fawbush et al., 2009 a and b. 2. Establish a website that summarizes all existing information about quality management of Honeycrisp apples. http://smfarm.cfans.umn.edu/Honeycrisp.htm 3. Publish two or more studies of the effects of preharvest 1-MCP treatment on storability of apples. Bai et al., 2009; Fawbush et al., 2009; Jung and Watkins 2009; Marin et al., 2009. OBJECTIVE 1. Determine genetic and biochemical mechanisms governing loss or retention of fruit quality after harvest. CA - Ethylene treatment before 1-MCP resulted in nearly full ripening recovery of pears. Fruit from ethylene suppressed fruit had less bitter pit than wild type in contrast to a previous observation. Fruit from a shaded part of orchard had more bitter pit than from unshaded trees. Transformed plants with a high expression of sCAX1 transporter, a line that has more blossom end rot (BER) even though CA++ concentration is higher than wild type, were used to study calcium accumulation in cellular organelles of tomato fruit tissue and how it relates to membrane permeability and BER. USDA Beltsville - a-Farnesene and its CT oxidation products accumulated more rapidly and reached about twofold higher concentrations in CA compared with WA fruit over the first 8 to 12 weeks of storage. This is in accord with the proposed role of CTs in scald induction. Colloboration with USDA-WA and CA. Polygalacturonase (PG) from decayed Golden Delicious apple fruit inoculated with Penicillium solitum showed a single 50 kDa band on SDS-PAGE, with maximal activity between pH 4 and 5, and at 20 to 37 °C. Incubation of the purified fungal PG with intact apple fruit tissue in vitro caused a 30% reduction in mass after 48 h, suggesting a role in P. solitum-mediated decay of apple fruit. For P. expansum, 7 Kazak accessions of M. sieversii were classified as immune and 38 as resistant. For C. acutatum, 1 accession was categorized as immune and 12 as resistant. These Kazak accessions can serve as a source of genetic material in apple breeding programs, and could be used to identify key genetic components of host resistance to these major postharvest pathogens. MI - They are studying ethylene signaling in tomato using the mutant Green Ripe which has an over expressed protein that causes ripening inhibition. Tomato has two copies and potential functional divergence. They are conducting chlorophyll degradation work in pepper and tomato mutants (Green flesh and CHL retainer) that don't degrade chlorophyll. They screened heirlooms to find diversity in alleles and have found four new alleles, and also fruit cuticle mutants that have differences in thickness and structure. Mechanical harvest and brining lead to low percentages of 'stem-on' fruit in maraschino cherries. Postharvest treatments were tested that amplify or minimize ethylene to examine its role in stem loss during brining. Novel genes for citramalate synthase have been cloned, their protein expressed and activity verified. The findings demonstrate a new enzyme activity in plants and support the existence of a novel pathway that is hypothesized to contribute to ester formation. MN - Harvest date, storage, and consumer sensory evaluation data were collected for fruit of SweeTango apple. Fruit from early harvests had good firmness, but were unable to maintain this firmness after 3 months of storage. Despite low firmness readings for late harvest fruit, consumers liked those fruit as well as early fruit. SweeTango is expected to sell well at Minnesota retail operations. Progeny from genetic crosses with Honeycrisp were tested for presence of different alleles of MdACS1, ACC synthase 1, and MdExpA2, expansin A2. Of 21 genotypes that gave consistent results, 13 were consistent with the hypothesis that presence of an 11 bp indel maintained crispness and 16 were consistent with the hypothesis that absence of the ACS1-2 allele was correlated with crispness maintenance. NY Geneva collaboration with USDA-Beltsville - Initial results with farnesene silencing to show its role in superficial scald of apple were promising, and they hope to have real transgenic lines next year. NY Ithaca - 1-MCP effects on nutritional status of apple fruit are relatively small. A major outcome of this research has been that antioxidant composition is not affected significantly by 1-MCP. Therefore, there are likely to be neither beneficial nor detrimental effects on the health-promoting constituents of the apple fruit as a result of this technology. Two cultivars, Honeycrisp and McIntosh differed in IEC levels and ethylene related genes during and after harvest. Cell wall gene expression was higher in McIntosh at all sampling times with one exception. The objective was to elucidate the molecular mechanism of softening and ethylene production. GABA accumulation was lower in All Star and Earliglow than in Jewel and Northeaster, but not consistently associated with fruit sensitivity to CO2. WA - Functional genomic tools used to investigate ripening relationships and flavor volatile nature and occurrence in apples reveal discrepancies between gene expression and biochemical phenomena. USDA WA - Acorbic acid (AsA) localization in fruit sections stained with silver nitrate revealed AsA localizes to the core line and vascular bundles later in fruit development; this pattern continues during cold storage. Metabolic profiling of Granny Smith apple peel during superficial scald development showed extensive metabolomic changes associated with scald precede actual symptom development. OBJECTIVE 2. Develop or adapt postharvest strategies and technologies to improve quality and market competitiveness of emerging production systems, including organic, local and small-scale. CA - Alternative food additives were screened for control of major postharvest diseases of stone fruit. Short term low oxygen storage reduced both bitter pit and superficial scald disorders without addition of chemical and can be a strategy for scald control of organic apples. ME - Honeycrisp apples can be stored in CA at 5C to prevent soft scald and soggy breakdown, but quality loss was noticeable. Delayed cooling did not reduce soft scald and increased soggy breakdown with an early harvest. With later harvest date, delayed cooling effects varied between two orchards. MI - Results indicate a high sensitivity to both low oxygen and elevated carbon dioxide levels; disorder symptoms include internal browning resembling soggy breakdown. Symptoms are not present in air-stored fruit. NY Hudson Valley - Rosenberger assessed fungicides for their effectiveness in protecting apples from the fungal pathogen Penicillium expansum during storage and transport. If defenoconazole is approved for postharvest applications, using a mixture of fludioxonil plus difenoconazole in postharvest treatments applied to apples should help to minimize selection pressure for fungicide- resistant strains. Where wounded apples were briefly immersed in a spore suspension containing captan, captan became more effective as the inoculum/fungicide solution aged because viability of Penicillium spores decreased with time. Thus, although Captan is not effective for protecting wounded fruit when spores are introduced to the wounds, it may assist in controlling postharvest decays by reducing inoculum concentrations in recycling fungicide solutions that are used over extended time periods to treat fruit as it is harvested. NY Ithaca - The effect of 1-MCP treatment on the susceptibility of Empire, Golden Delicious, and Fuji apple fruit to bruising was investigated. The extent of bruising was greatest in Golden Delicious and lowest in Empire. Overall, the bruise volume was 7% and 7.6% lower in 1-MCP-treated fruit of Empire and Golden Delicious, respectively, than in untreated fruit, but was not significantly affected in Fuji. Treating cluster-type tomatoes with 1-MCP at time when the last in the bunch to ripen is still green doesn't work. The major impact of 1-MCP was on the stem vine quality and not on fruit (collaborative study with Ontario). Collaboration with MN, NY, ONT, MI, NS, WA, MA and ME A website was established that summarizes information about quality management of Honeycrisp apples - http://smfarm.cfans.umn.edu/Honeycrisp.htm OBJECTIVE 3. Develop technologies and practices that optimize returns and promote increased consumption of health-beneficial fruits through preservation or improvement of fruit quality attributes. CA - They identified stages in the supply and marketing chain that lead to loss of mango fruit quality and bruises in pomegranates. USDA Beltsville - 1-MCP and ethoxyquin were tested to overcome current limitations to control of pear scald. A combined treatment of d'Anjou pears, including 25 nL L-1 1-MCP immediately after harvest and 1000 uL L-1 ethoxyquin from 1 to 60 days later, both controlled scald and allowed normal ripening after 5 months at -1 °C plus 7 days shelf life at 20 °C. Previously it was found that fruit of the wild eggplant relative Solanum incanum include several HCA amides of polyamines (HCAA) that are not present in fruit of cultivated S. melongena and are of interest because of their biological activity (e.g., lowering blood pressure). On average, fruit of S. incanum parents had about 75% higher levels of total HCA conjugates compared with fruit of S. melongena, however, they contained none of the spermine HCAA that were abundant in fruit from an S. incanum (group B) accession in the USDA core collection. There was wide variation in the levels of individual compounds in the F2 fruit and several lines had a promising abundance of polyamine HCAA. C. baccatum pepper accessions with unique aroma and flavor were identified. Over 170 volatiles have been identified in selected accessions, and 90 have not been previously found in fruit extracts of C. annuum. Bell peppers (Capsicum annuum) have less flavor than closely related C. baccatum. Fruit aromatic volatiles, sugars, and organic acids were analyzed in select C. annuum and C. baccatum genotypes. Capsicum baccatum accessions with unique aroma and flavor attributes were found. Over 170 volatiles were identified in selected accessions, more than half of which have not been found previously in fruit of C. annuum. Select C. baccatum germplasms with a rich diversity of aromatic volatiles, organic acids, and sugars should provide breeding material for development of C. annuum stocks with enhanced fruit flavor. NY Ithaca and Ontario - They identified regional variation and harvest and storage factors that lead to flesh browning in Empire apples. WA - Treatment of apples with a mild level of oxidative stress (30 mM peroxide (H2O2)) after MCP treatment showed a partial reversal of MCP-induced ripening inhibition. USDA WA - Monitoring chlorophyll fluorescence of d'Anjou pears during storage in low oxygen environments did not provide an indication of metabolic stress that resulted in development of core browning. Inhibition of ethylene action by 1-MCP applied prior to or after harvest of Honeycrisp apples reduced postharvest development of internal radial browning during storage. At-harvest treatment of d'Anjou pear fruit with a combination of 1-MCP and ethylene at 600 ppb each prevented superficial scald development but allowed ripening to occur after 4 months cold storage. NJ - The chemopreventive potential of a cranberry proanthocyanidin rich extract (PAC) was tested in SEG-1 human esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) cells. PAC pretreatment significantly inhibited the viability and proliferation of EAC cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Further mechanistic studies are warranted to more fully elucidate the inhibitory potential of PAC against esophageal cancer. The concentrations and profiles of phenolics of selected fruit crops including several Vaccinium species, were examined to better understand how they may be useful sources of phytochemicals. Vaccinium fruit had particularly high phenolic concentrations, and some were very rich in anthocyanins and pro-anthocyanidins. As biomedical studies determine which phenolic structures are associated with particular bioactivities, information on the phenolic concentration and profile of selected species will aid in developing specific uses for fruit crops in human health.

Bai, J., Yin, X., Whitaker, B.D., Deschuytter, K., Chen, P.M. 2009. Combination of 1-methylcyclopropene and ethoxyquin to control superficial scald of 'd'Anjou' pears. HortTechnology 19: in press. Barry C.S. 2009. The stay-green revolution: recent progress in deciphering the mechanisms of chlorophyll degradation in higher plants. Plant Science 176: 325 - 333. Barry C.S., McQuinn R, Chung M-Y, Besuden A, Giovannoni J.J. 2008. Amino acid substitutions in homologs of the STAY-GREEN protein are responsible for the green-flesh and chlorophyll retainer mutations of tomato and pepper. Plant Physiology 147: 179 - 187. Fawbush, F., Nock, J., Watkins, C. 2009. Antioxidant contents and activity in SmartFresh-treated 'Empire' apples during air and controlled atmosphere storage. New York Fruit Quarterly 17(4):15-18. Fawbush, F., Nock, J.F., Watkins, C.B. 2009. Antioxidant contents and activity of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP)-treated 'Empire' apples in air and controlled atmosphere storage. Postharvest Biol. Technol. 52:30-37. Fuchs, S.J., Mattinson, D.S., and Fellman, J.K. 2008. Effect of edible coatings on quality of fresh green asparagus. J. Food Proc. Preserv. 31:951-971. Hancock, J., Callow, P., Serce, S., Hanson, E., and Beaudry, R. 2008. Effect of cultivar, controlled atmosphere storage, and fruit ripeness on the long-term storage of highbush blueberries. HortTechnology, 18(2):199-205. Jung, S.K., and Watkins, C.B. 2009. 1-Methylcyclopropene treatment and bruising of different apple cultivars during storage. J. Hort. Sci. Biotech. 84:143-148. Jurick, W.M., II, Vico, I., McElvoy, J.L., Whitaker, B.D., Janisiewicz, W., Conway, W.S. 2009. Isolation, purification and characterization of a polygalacturonase produced in Penicillium solitum-decayed 'Golden Delicious' apple fruit. Phytopathology 99: 636-641. Kahlke C., Watkins, C. 2009. Harvest indices. Fruit Notes 9(18):1-3. Kalt, W., MacKinnon, S., McDonald, J., Vinqvist, M., Craft, C., Howell, A. 2008. Phenolics of Vaccinium berries and other fruit crops. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 88:68-76. Kresty, L.A., Howell, A.B., Baird, M. 2008. Cranberry proanthocyanidins inhibit acid-induced cell proliferation in human esophageal adenocarcinoma cells. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 58:676-680. Marin, A.B., Colonna, A.E., Kudo, K., Kupferman, E.M, Mattheis, J.P. 2009. Measuring consumer response to 'Gala' apples treated with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP). Postharvest Biol Tech 51: 73-79. Paull, R.E., Irikura, B., Wu, P., Turano, H., Chen, N.J., Blas, A., Fellman, J.K. Gschwend, A.R., Wai, C.M., Yu, Q., Presting, G., Alam, M., and Ming, R. 2008. Fruit Development, Ripening, and Quality Related Genes in the Papaya Genome. Tropical Plant Biol. 1:246-277. Peck, G.M., Merwin, I.A., Watkins, C.B., Chapman, K.W., Padilla-Zakour, O.I. 2009. Maturity and quality of 'Liberty' apple fruit under integrated and organic fruit production systems are similar. HortScience 44:1382-1389. Rosenberger, D.A. 2009. Fungicides, biocides, and sanitizers for managing postharvest pathogens in apples. N.Y. Fruit Quarterly 17(3):3-6. Rosenberger, D. 2009. Postharvest fungicides for apples in 2009. Scaffolds Fruit Journal 18(25):1-3. Online at http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/scaffolds/2009/ Rosenberger, D. 2009. Sanitizers and biocides for apple storage and packing operations. Scaffolds Fruit Journal 18(25):3-5. Online at http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/scaffolds/2009/ Rudell, D.R., Mattheis, J.P. 2009. Superficial scald development and related metabolism is modified by postharvest light irradiation. Postharvest Biol Tech 51:174-182. Sugimoto N., S. Park, S. van Nocker, and R. Beaudry. 2008. Gene expression associated with apple aroma biosynthesis. Acta Horticulturae, 768:57-64. Watkins, C.B. 2009. Postharvest physiological disorders and mineral nutrients. New York Fruit Quarterly 17(3):17-20. Whitaker, B.D. 2008. Genetic and biochemical mechanisms of superficial scald development in apple and pear fruits. Proceedings COST action 924 International Congress: Novel approaches for the control of postharvest diseases and disorders, p. 257-268. Whitaker, B.D., Villalobos-Acuña, M., Mitcham, E.J., Mattheis, J.P. 2009. Superficial scald susceptibility and a-farnesene metabolism in 'Bartlett' pears grown in California and Washington. Postharvest Biol. Technol. 53: 43-50.