#New research informs California strawberry production practicesin the coastal valleys of central California where more than 80%of the United states'strawberry crops are grown there is developing concern about the impact of these vast production systems
and the introduction of new cultivars has increased strawberry yields in the region by 140%during the past 50 years.
Strawberry growers are facing increasing regulatory pressure to improve their management practices in order to protect groundwater.
Looking for ways to help strawberry producers address these critical issues Thomas Bottoms and Timothy Hartz from the Department of Plant sciences at the University of California Davis along with Michael Cahn and Barry Farrara of the University
of California Cooperative Extension in Salinas studied nitrogen (N) fertilization and irrigation management practices in fall-planted annual strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.
and soil nitrogen dynamics (in annual strawberry production) under the environmental conditions and current grower management practices of the central coast region of California said corresponding author Timothy Hartz.
Additionally we evaluated strawberry response to preplant controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) application rates in three commercial field trials.
The researchers determined that strawberry biomass nitrogen accumulation showed a consistent pattern across fields with limited N accumulation from fall transplanting through March followed by a consistent rate of crop N uptake through the rest of the production season.
He explained that in California's central coastal region most strawberry fields are planted after vegetable crops.
However the replicated trials showed that preplant CRF rates had a minimal effect on strawberry nitrogen accumulation through the June sampling by
Adjusting for higher fruit yield potential under California conditions this supports prior research that found N fertigation averaging 0. 5 to 0. 9 kg/ha per day to be adequate for peak production.
In 2009 cucumber became the seventh plant to have published its genome sequence following the well-studied model plant Arabidopsis thaliana the poplar tree grapevine papaya and the crops rice and sorghum.
The comparison result indicated that the three vegetable crops (cucumber watermelon and tomato) probably underwent narrower bottleneck events during domestication than the grain food crops (rice maize and soybean).
Wild cucumber is an extremely bitter fruit. An essential step in the domestication of the wild cucumber into a eatable vegetable must have degenerated its bitter taste.
while increasing intake of monounsaturated fats such as avocados and olive oil-Lower intake of animal protein and add more vegetable protein to your diet-Add more fiber to your diet by consuming whole grains vegetables
and fruit-Incorporate more vegetarian sources of iron such as legumes tofu nuts seeds and whole grains-Consume high-fat dairy instead of low-fat dairy-Take a regular women's multivitaminapproximately 40 percent of infertility issues are attributed to men according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
and the Guiana Shield harbors around 390 billion individual trees including Brazil nut chocolate and aã§ai berry trees.
and aã§ai berry--have been used and cultivated for millennia by human populations in Amazonia. There's a really interesting debate shaping up says Pitman between people who think that hyperdominant trees are common
and crown diameter and has beautiful soft sword-shaped leaves with white edges and cream flowers with bright orange filaments all highly distinctive features.
The health benefits of dietary fiber mainly found in fruits vegetables and whole grains include helping maintain a healthy weight preventing
and some fruits is particularly beneficial for diabetics because fiber slows sugar absorption and improves blood sugar levels.
Citrus powder made from citrus peels can be purchased online at a relatively inexpensive price. Based on her initial test Gedikoglu also thinks that adding citrus powder to some hamburger recipes would capitalize on the tangy citrus flavor.
Citrus fruits particularly their peels are rich with flavonoids a nutrient in plants that can help prevent diseases in humans such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
#New micro water sensor can aid growerscrop growers wine grape and other fruit growers food processors and even concrete makers all benefit from water sensors for accurate steady and numerous moisture readings.
But current sensors are large may cost thousands of dollars and often must be read manually.
and will soon test their design in plants embedding their lab on a chip in the stems of grape vines for example.
For example sophisticated vintners use precise irrigation to put regulated water stress on grapevines to create just the right grape composition for a premium cabernet or a chardonnay wine.
Intake of fruit vegetables nuts seeds pasta poultry and vegetable oil was related to a lower mortality risk
It appears that the intake of some food groups is more beneficial (fruits legumes nuts seeds pasta poultry vegetable oil) or more detrimental (soft drinks butter margarine cake cookies) with respect to mortality risk
#Healthier Diets Possible in Low-Income, Rural Communitiesin the United states children don't eat enough fruits vegetables and whole grains.
The children enrolled in the study consumed significantly more fruits and vegetables. The results are published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The objective of our analysis was to examine changes in fruit vegetable legume whole-grain
at least five servings of fruits and vegetables; no more than two hours of television or other screen time;
#¢Ate similar amounts of fruits vegetables whole grains dairy potatoes/potato products saturated fats and sugars as students in control schools#¢Consumed significantly more legumesas a result of the intervention
#¢Eating 0. 08 cups of vegetables per 1000 kcal more per day#¢Eating 0. 22 cups combined fruits
and vegetables per 1000 kcal more per day#¢Had a significantly lower glycemic indexthere was a trend toward more fruit consumption in the CHANGE study intervention with 0. 15 cups per 1000 kcal per day.
and combined fruits and vegetables after exposure to the CHANGE study intervention compared with students in control schools and communities.
diet improves healthpolyphenols are naturally occurring compounds found largely in fruits vegetables coffee tea nuts legumes and cereals.
Raã l Zamora Ros first author of the study points out that results corroborate scientific evidence suggesting that people consuming diets rich in fruit
#New potential for nutrient-rich prairie fruitsresearchers working at the University of Saskatchewan have discovered new potential in prairie fruits in particular buffaloberry chokecherry
Findings showed that these fruits were nutrient-rich and that the potential food value is high.
This is good news for fruit growers in Saskatchewan as these results add further credence to support the development of these fruits for commercial food markets.
There is increasing interest in the commercial development of these fruits since historically it has been thought they may provide nutritional
and health benefits explained Dr. Rick Green Vice president Technology at POS Biosciences in Saskatoon co-author of the study Our results provide evidence that these fruits do in fact possess such nutritional benefits
Potential uses for these native fruits are many. They can be used to produce nutrient-rich ingredients for at-risk Northern Saskatchewan Canadian and global populations by blending fruits with Saskatchewan cereals and pulses.
As ingredients these materials can be used to improve the food value of traditionally prepared foods and as supplements for nutrient-poor populations.
In addition future research areas may focus on the development of processed fruit products from these berries.
when the fly is presented different food odors--apple mango banana--predicts incredibly well how much the flies will given'like'a odor says the lead author of the research paper Jennifer Beshel Ph d. a postdoctoral investigator in the laboratory of CSHL
'The activity of neurons in other areas in the brain might only take note of what something isis it apple?
#Fruit science: Switching between repulsion and attractiona team of researchers based at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich
and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has shown how temporal control of a single gene solves two problems during fruit ripening in strawberry.
Not only human consumers find the rich red color of ripe strawberries attractive. In wild strawberries it also serves to lure the animals which the plant exploits to spread its seeds.
When birds and small mammals feed on the fruit they subsequently excrete the indigestible seeds elsewhere
. However as long as the fruit is in the growth phase and not yet mature drawing attention to itself would be counterproductive.
Moreover the developing fruit also has to contend with the attentions of pathogens and pests.
Dual-use metabolites Botanically speaking strawberries are neither berries nor fruits. The fleshy part of the fruit we eat is actually a modification of the shoot tip from which the flowers developed.
The yellow achenes embedded in its surface are the true fruits each consisting of a single seed and a hard outer coat.
During the growth phase of the fruit the enzyme anthocyanidin reductase contributes to the synthesis of metabolites called proanthocyanidins in the green fruits.
These compounds help to protect the developing fruit against predators pathogens and abiotic stresses. When the seeds are ripe the Anr gene is turned off.
This makes precursors of proanthocyanidins available for use in the production of anthocyanins the red pigments that give the mature fruit its alluring Color in their new study Thilo Fischer
and Wilfried Schwab in cooperation with the Julius KÃ hn Institute in Pillnitz near Dresden specifically inactivated the ANR function in growing fruits.
This intervention led to the appearance of red stigmas in the flowers and the production of anthocyanins in immature fruits.
This finding indicates that the ANR function and the synthesis of protective compounds are also important in the stigmas of the flower says Thilo Fischer.
This is also of interest to strawberry breeders because the timing of the switch between warding off pests
and the initiation of pigmentation not only controls the quality of the fruit it also determines the level of pesticide use.
#Aggressive fungal pathogen causes mold in fruits, vegetablesa research team led by a molecular plant pathologist at the University of California Riverside has discovered the mechanism by
which an aggressive fungal pathogen infects almost all fruits and vegetables. The team discovered a novel virulence mechanism--the mechanism by
This pathogen can infect more than 200 plant species causing serious gray mold disease on almost all fruits
not only to be strong repellents but also found naturally in fruits plants or animals. The algorithm predicted nearly 200 natural DEET substitutes;
Although North america isn't known as a hotspot for crop plant diversity the inventory uncovered nearly 4600 CWR in the United states including close relatives of globally important food crops such as sunflower bean sweet potato and strawberry.
Particular substances so-called antioxidants which are also found in fruit vegetables and certain vegetable oils are capable of neutralising these free radicals.
He does not dispute that fruit and vegetables are healthy. However this may rather be caused by other compounds contained therein such as so-called polyphenols.
Fruit and vegetables are healthy despite the fact that they contain antioxidants says the ETH-Zurich professor. Based on the current and many previous findings he is convinced that small amounts of reactive oxygen species
#Experts confirm that fruit and vegetable consumption reduces risk of mortalitya European study analyzes the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and the risk of mortality.
As previous research has suggested already this study concludes that fruit and vegetable consumption reduces all-cause mortality and especially cardiovascular disease mortality.
The benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption are not a new discovery. However new research confirms their role in reducing mortality.
This reduction is more significant in the case of deaths from cardiovascular disease. The analysis recently published in the'American Journal of Epidemiology'was directed by researchers from ten countries including Spain as part of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC.
According to the results a combined fruit and vegetable consumption of more than 569 grams per day reduces the risk of mortality by 10
Furthermore for every 200 gram increase in daily fruit and vegetable consumption the risk falls by 6%.The proportion of deaths that could be prevented
if everyone eating too few fruit and vegetables increased their consumption by 100-200 grams per day
--thus reaching the recommended 400-500 grams per day--is 2. 9%.Previous studies already noted that fruit
%There is now sufficient evidence of the beneficial effect of fruit and vegetable consumption in the prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases Sá
Fruit for the hearta diet rich in fruit and vegetables reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality by 15%.
%Furthermore more than 4%of deaths due to cardiovascular disease could be prevented by consuming more than 400 grams of fruit and vegetables a day.
Considering fruit consumption separately no significant risk reduction was observed whereas vegetable consumption alone was associated with a lower risk of mortality
Nevertheless the expert highlights that given that fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with the risk of certain cancers--colon and rectal stomach lung etc.
Greater effect in people with bad habitsthe mortality risk reduction due to fruit and vegetable consumption was greater in those participants who consumed alcohol (around 30-40%risk reduction
As such these population groups in particular could benefit from the positive effects of fruit and vegetables in preventing chronic diseases and their associated mortality risk Sá
#Hope for halting incurable citrus diseasethe devastating disease Huonglongbing or citrus greening looms darkly over the United states threatening to wipe out the nation's citrus industry
whose fresh fruit alone was valued at more than $3. 4 billion in 2012. Recently however a research team led by a University of California Davis plant scientist used DNA sequencing technologies to paint a broad picture of how citrus greening impacts trees before they even show signs of infection offering hope for developing diagnostic
tests and treatments for the currently incurable disease. Florida is seemingly in the death grip of citrus greening
and matures leaves and fruit while also wreaking havoc with hormonal networks that are key to the trees'ability to fend of infections.
HLB or citrus greening is the most destructive citrus disease worldwide. It is caused by three species of the Candidatus Liberibacter bacteria including Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus
The disease affects most citrus species causing yellowing of shoots blotchy and mottled leaves lopsided and poorly colored fruit and loss of viable seeds.
The fruit of diseased trees is hard misshapen and bitter and the infected trees die within a few years.
and has since been identified in San diego Imperial Riverside San bernardino Orange Los angeles Ventura Santa barbara Kern and Tulare counties resulting in quarantines and restricted areas.
The researchers used gene sequencing technology to study the transcriptome which is the collection of RNA found in the tree leaves and fruit.
silvopastoral systems which include shrubs and trees with edible leaves or fruits as well as herbage. Professor Donald Broom from the University of Cambridge who led the research said:
It is also found in small quantities in fruit and vegetables like mustard Goji berries almonds sunflower seeds cardamom fennel coriander and cherries.
#Pesticide regulation in California is flawedapproximately 30 million pounds of fumigant pesticides are used each year on soil that yields valuable California crops--strawberries tomatoes peppers and the like--in an attempt to control pests.
and Policy Program a joint program of the Fielding School of Public health and the School of law shows that in at least one case the system failed by approving a chemical called methyl iodide for use on strawberries.
It produces 10 times more antioxidant than blueberries. The yield of sorghum hybrids with those traits aren't quite
and tested the effectiveness of a new apple snack impregnated with tangerine juice that reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in obese children
To obtain the snack researchers enriched apple slices with mandarin juice using a technology of impregnation developed
and patented by the UPV team that allows incorporating additional ingredients to the structure of porous foods as in the case of fruits and vegetables.
Our snack has all the properties of two products as healthy as apples and tangerine and has added no ingredient.
It is an alternative to snacks that exist in the market that contain oils and saturated fats and therefore are high in calories says Noelia Betoret principal researcher and professor at the School of Agricultural engineering and Natural Environment.
#Are banana farms contaminating Costa ricas crocs? Shoppers spend over £10 billion on bananas annually and now this demand is being linked to the contamination of Central america's crocodilians.
New research published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry analyses blood samples from spectacled caiman in Costa rica and finds that intensive pesticide use in plantations leads to contaminated species in protected conservation areas.
Banana plantations are big business in Costa rica which exports an estimated 1. 8 million tonnes per year;
The climate of the country's North East is ideal for bananas; however the Rio Suerte which flows through this major banana producing area drains into the Tortuguero Conservation Area.
Tortuguero is home to the spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus) one of the most common species of crocodilian in Central america.
Due to the increased global demand for fruit pesticide use has doubled more than across Central america in the past twenty years.
Caiman within the high intensity banana crop watershed of Rio Suerte had higher pesticide burdens relative to other more remote locations.
Caiman near banana plantations had higher pesticide burdens and lower body condition said Grant. This suggests that either pesticides pose a health risk to caiman
Caiman and other aquatic species have been exposed to pesticides from upstream banana plantations even in remote areas of a national wilderness area concluded Grant.
Banana plantations may be economically important to Costa rica; however their erosion of aquatic ecosystems highlights the need for a developed regulatory infrastructure and adequate enforcement.
Apple Dogwood Pear Plum Begonia flower#¢Plants and Flowers: Daffodil Lilac Magnolia Rose Sunflowerbe Quick to Clean--Mold and pollen can collect on fallen leaves.
According to the Secretaire General of the Ministry of Environment and Forests of the Republic of Madagascar Pierre Manganirina Randrianarisoa Green growth is the fruit of a green economy within the context of sustainable development realized through the implementation of an appropriate
But cranberry-growing operations are challenged by weeds which compete for precious resources and often decrease fruit yields and revenues.
Producers currently rely on weed management strategies such as flooding and sanding cranberry beds hand-weeding or applications of pre-and postemergence herbicides.
Recent interest in reducing chemical inputs into cranberry growing systems has led researchers to evaluate alternative methods such as flame cultivation as a potential nonchemical weed control option.
University of Massachusetts scientists Katherine Ghantous Hilary Sandler Wesley Autio and Peter Jeranyama designed a study using flame cultivation techniques for weed control in cranberry crops.
The results published in the July 2013 issue of Hortscience showed promise for integrating the weed control technique into certain situations including organic farming.
We thought that flame cultivation would cause damage to cranberry plants and that damage would increase with increasing exposure duration
Surprisingly although the results showed minor response differences between the cranberry varieties tested all varieties showed recovery from flame cultivation (FC) damage irrespective
In addition to being as cost-effective as glyphosate wipes the nonfatal response to flame control indicates that it will cause less damage to cranberry plants that are exposed incidentally during spot treatment of weeds than glyphosate.
Those following a healthy diet are less at riska healthy diet characterized by vegetables fruits berries whole-grains poultry fish
Vegetables fruits berries whole-grains meat and liver are the most important dietary sources of folate.
and chickens along with improved cassava varieties that resist a deadly virus. They also are growing high-value crops like tomatoes onions and watermelons.
The article Fruit structure in Magnoliaceae s l. and Archaeanthus and their relationships appears in the most recent issue of the American Journal of Botany.
Dilcher an IU professor emeritus of geological sciences and biology in the College of Arts and Sciences discovered fossil flowers and fruits resembling those of magnolias
The researchers used advanced technologies of light scanning electron and polarizing microscopy to develop a more detailed picture of the Archaeanthus flowers fruits and seeds and compare them with the flowers fruits and seeds of contemporary plants.
We discovered features of the fruits and seeds not previously detailed that were more similar to those of the tulip tree line of evolution than to the magnolias Dilcher said.
Common sense associates tannins with immature unripe fruit and people ironically say'this fruit is too green'.
'More seriously plant tannins have been used since the Neolithic times to prevent spoilage of animal skins and therefore first to manufacture leather laces and soles protecting feet of rough ground.
When this process is applied to fruit trees (citrus guava or lemon) fruit development is reached in three or four years
which normally happens at six says the researcher of the Department of Biotechnology and Biochemistry of the Cinvestav.
#Substance that gives grapefruit its flavor and aroma could give insect pests the bootthe citrus flavor
and aroma of grapefruit--already used in fruit juices citrus-flavored beverages and prestige perfumes and colognes--may be heading for a new use in battling mosquitoes ticks head lice
Nootkatone has been used for years to give beverages a grapefruit flavor. It is safe to eat has a pleasant citrus flavor is not greasy both repels
and kills insects and should not have the toxicity concerns that exist for DEET. Burlingame who is with Allylix Inc. a renewable-chemical firm in Lexington Ky. spoke at a symposium entitled Biopesticides:
Nootkatone is a component of the oil in grapefruit and has been on the U s. Food
and price--$25 per ounce when extracted from grapefruit--was not a major concern. It was slightly less expensive
when produced from a substance called valencene extracted from oranges. The need for a more economical source of nootkatone intensified after scientists at the U s. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discovered nootkatone's effectiveness in controlling ticks mosquitoes and other insects.
Nootkatone extracted from grapefruit however would be too expensive for development of a consumer product.
#Edible coatings for ready-to-eat fresh fruits and vegetablesthe scientist who turned fresh-cut apple slices into a popular convenience food available ready-to-eat in grocery stores school cafeterias and fast-food restaurants today described advances in keeping other foods fresh flavorful
and safe for longer periods of time through the use of invisible colorless odorless tasteless coatings.
Ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables now account for about 10 percent of all produce sales with sales exceeding $10 billion annually.
The use of edible films likely will expand dramatically in the future--especially for fruits and vegetables--as health-conscious consumers look for more foods that require minimal preparation like cut fruit
and premixed salads he noted. Fruits and vegetables have skins that provide natural protection against drying out discoloration
and other forms of spoilage Pavlath explained. He is with the U s. Department of agriculture's Western Regional Research center in Albany Calif. Cutting
It's visible within minutes for foods like apples and bananas but occurs without any outward sign for other fruits and vegetables.
Nature is a very good chemist and we are learning from that and sometimes improving on it with new edible coatings that protect the quality and nutritional value of food.
Apples for instance lose some of their natural wax coating during washing after harvest. The replacement is a thin layer of carnauba wax obtained from the leaves of palm trees.
and other consumers to enjoy a new apple treat--refrigerated packaged apple slices that last 2-3 weeks without turning brown or losing crispness.
Apples ordinarily begin to turn brown within 30 minutes after cutting or peeling. Pavlath's process involves treating freshly cut apple slices with a form of Vitamin c resulting in the first commercial product that retains the desirable characteristics of fresh apples without leaving a detectable residue.
Pavlath pointed out that edible films are by no means a 21st century innovation. Edible films were used at least as early as the 1100s
when merchants in citrus-growing regions of southern China used wax to preserve oranges shipped by caravan to the Emperor's table in the North.
People in Europe for centuries preserved fresh fruit with larding a coating of the melted fat from hogs.
Those coatings sealed off the fruit preventing the exchange of gases with the air essential for sustaining good quality.
The finished fruits and vegetables then go to consumers in sealed containers. The great 21st century challenges in edible coating research and development?
One involves bananas America's favorite fruit which people consume each year in quantities greater than apples and oranges combined:
finding an edible coating that would make fresh-cut sliced bananas a commercial reality. The other is developing a coating for avocados
which are also notorious for discoloring quickly after peeling. Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by American Chemical Society (ACS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length h
#Panda poop microbes could make biofuels of the futureunlikely as it may sound giant pandas Ya Ya
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