Showing papers by "Kevin M. Crosby published in 2015"

Bioactive Compounds and Fruit Quality of Green Sweet Pepper Grown under Different Colored Shade Netting during Postharvest Storage

Abstract: UNLABELLED In this study, influence of 3 types of photo-selective nets (pearl, red and yellow) and a standard black net on marketable yield, fruit quality and bioactive compounds after postharvest storage was investigated. Percentage marketable fruits were higher in green sweet peppers produced under the pearl nets. Fruits produced under the pearl nets showed higher fruit mass, firmness, chlorophyll content, ascorbic acid content, antioxidant scavenging activity after postharvest storage. Red/far red photon ratio under the pearl net could have improved the ascorbic acid content and the antioxidant scavenging activity in green peppers. Green sweet peppers grown under the pearl nets had higher hue values and maintained green color longer. Our results showed the impact of modified light quality on the bioactive compounds of green sweet pepper during postharvest storage. PRACTICAL APPLICATION Green sweet peppers are rich in phytochemicals. Marketability of green sweet peppers is affected partially due to ripening after postharvest storage and decay. Maintenance of green color, fruit mass, firmness, and nutritional composition are important parameters that attract consumers. This research shows the influence of light quality during production on the fruit quality parameters and bioactive compounds after postharvest storage.

‘Pacal’ Orange Casaba: A Multi-disease Resistant, Specialty Melon Cultivar from Texas A&M AgriLife Research

Abstract: Melons (Cucumis melo L.) are among the most popular and nutritious fruiting vegetables in the United States, with the lowest cost per pound to the consumer. The high levels of vitamin C, carotenoids, folate, potassium, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) provide valuable antioxidant and other human health– promoting properties (Lester, 2008; Lester et al., 2009). Hence melons have become an important component of fresh-cut food products where convenience, quality, and safety are in high demand. Quantifiable consumer preference traits, such as taste (sweetness), texture (firmness), or flavor (aroma), all contribute to the popularity of melons as components of the whole-fruit and fresh-cut sectors. These consumer satisfaction components are strongly influenced by genetic as well as environmental and production management factors (Lester et al., 2007). Continued breeding efforts to improve consumer preference, as well as retail and production suitability traits such as shelf life and disease resistance, have resulted in diverse melon types. Many of these specialty melons are uniquely flavorful and often receive higher prices for growers and retailers (Guan et al., 2013). The rapid growth of farmers’ markets and other direct marketing techniques have also driven demand for more types of specialty melons or better tasting cultivars. Melon production also represents an important economic component of the U.S. vegetable sector (Cantliffe et al., 2007). Orange-fleshed melons such as cantaloupes are the most popular melons in the United States. In 2014, 63,200 acres of cantaloupes were harvested with a production value of $327.9 million, followed by honeydew melons grown on 14,450 acres with a value of $88.6 million (USDA-NASS, 2014). Developing new orange-fleshed varieties of honeydew melons with a high nutritional value could expand the economic revenue for producers. Orange-fleshed inodorus melons present many advantages over cantaloupe melons such as better flesh texture (firmness), shelf life, ability to withstand lower storage temperatures, reduced susceptibility to surface microbial contamination, higher sugar content, improved disease resistance, higher yields, and better consumer acceptance (Fleshman et al., 2011; Hodges and Lester, 2006; Johnstone et al., 2008; Laur and Tian, 2011; Lester, 2008; Lester and Crosby, 2002; Lester et al., 2007; Saftner et al., 2006).