Abstract
The effect of thinning on fruit weight, color, biochemical composition, and on leaf insect occurrence was studied in an over 80-year-old orchard on two apple tree (Malus domestica Borkh.) old cultivars: Liivi Sibulõun and Paide Taliõun. The study was conducted to restore an old orchard for quality apple juice production. Pruning led to a significant increase in pests, but the number of natural enemies of pests and of neutral insects did not increase. The total number of arthropods was significantly higher on ‘Paide Taliõun’ in the second year after pruning. Consequently, more pests were found in both experimental years on this cultivar. Pruning significantly increased leaf SPAD value leading to a decrease in the total phenolics content of the fruit. The effect of thinning on ascorbic acid content was cultivar dependent. Fruit skin was greener, apple flesh color was yellower, and fruit weight increased by up to 60% after pruning. Among apple taste parameters, the sugar acidity ratio was not influenced by pruning but was positively correlated with skin color, especially in ‘Liivi Sibulõun’. Thinning of old apple trees does not affect the taste of apples but could reduce the impact on the healthy parameters, such as phenolic compounds.
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
Pruning significantly increased pests on apple trees.
- Taxon
- apple tree
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- Pruninge0
- Outcome
- pestse0
- Direction
- increasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pruning led to a significant increase in pests”
t0“apple tree”
Claim · model-written summary
Pruning did not increase natural enemies of pests or neutral insects.
- Taxon
- apple treeMalus domesticat0
- Treatment
- Pruninge1
- Outcome
- number of natural enemies of pests and of neutral insectse0
- Direction
- did not increasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the number of natural enemies of pests and of neutral insects did not increase”
e1“Pruning led to a significant increase in pests”
t0“apple tree”
Claim · model-written summary
Total arthropod numbers were significantly higher on Paide Taliõun in the second year after pruning.
- Taxon
- apple treeMalus domesticat0
- Material
- Paide Taliõune0
- Outcome
- total number of arthropodse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Qualifier
- second year after pruninge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The total number of arthropods was significantly higher on ‘Paide Taliõun’ in the second year after pruning.”
t0“apple tree”
Claim · model-written summary
More pests were found on Paide Taliõun in both experimental years.
- Taxon
- apple treeMalus domesticat0
- Material
- Paide Taliõune1
- Outcome
- pestse0
- Direction
- moree0
- Qualifier
- both experimental yearse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“more pests were found in both experimental years on this cultivar”
e1“‘Paide Taliõun’”
t0“apple tree”
Claim · model-written summary
Pruning significantly increased apple leaf SPAD value.
- Taxon
- apple treeMalus domesticat0
- Organ / stage
- leafe0
- Treatment
- Pruninge0
- Outcome
- SPAD valuee0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pruning significantly increased leaf SPAD value”
t0“apple tree”
Claim · model-written summary
Pruning decreased total phenolics content of apple fruit.
- Taxon
- apple treeMalus domesticat0
- Organ / stage
- fruite0
- Treatment
- Pruninge1
- Outcome
- total phenolics content of the fruite0
- Direction
- decreasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“leading to a decrease in the total phenolics content of the fruit”
e1“Pruning significantly increased leaf SPAD value”
t0“apple tree”
Claim · model-written summary
The effect of thinning on apple ascorbic acid content depended on cultivar.
- Taxon
- apple treeMalus domesticat0
- Treatment
- thinninge0
- Outcome
- ascorbic acid contente0
- Qualifier
- cultivar dependente0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The effect of thinning on ascorbic acid content was cultivar dependent.”
t0“apple tree”
Claim · model-written summary
Apple fruit skin was greener after pruning.
- Taxon
- apple treeMalus domesticat0
- Treatment
- pruninge0
- Outcome
- Fruit skine0
- Direction
- greenere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Fruit skin was greener, apple flesh color was yellower, and fruit weight increased by up to 60% after pruning.”
t0“apple tree”
Claim · model-written summary
Apple flesh color was yellower after pruning.
- Taxon
- apple treeMalus domesticat0
- Treatment
- pruninge1
- Outcome
- apple flesh colore0
- Direction
- yellowere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“apple flesh color was yellower”
e1“after pruning. Among apple taste parameters”
t0“apple tree”
Claim · model-written summary
Pruning increased apple fruit weight by up to 60%.
- Taxon
- apple treeMalus domesticat0
- Treatment
- pruninge0
- Outcome
- fruit weighte0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- up to 60%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fruit weight increased by up to 60% after pruning”
t0“apple tree”
Claim · model-written summary
Pruning did not influence the sugar acidity ratio.
- Taxon
- apple treeMalus domesticat0
- Treatment
- pruninge0
- Outcome
- sugar acidity ratioe0
- Direction
- not influencede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the sugar acidity ratio was not influenced by pruning”
t0“apple tree”
Claim · model-written summary
Sugar acidity ratio was positively correlated with skin color, especially in Liivi Sibulõun.
- Taxon
- apple treeMalus domesticat0
- Material
- Liivi Sibulõune0
- Organ / stage
- skine0
- Outcome
- sugar acidity ratioe1
- Direction
- positively correlatede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“was positively correlated with skin color, especially in ‘Liivi Sibulõun’”
e1“the sugar acidity ratio”
t0“apple tree”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors concluded that thinning old apple trees does not affect apple taste.
- Taxon
- apple treesMalus domesticae0
- Treatment
- Thinninge0
- Outcome
- taste of applese0
- Direction
- does not affecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Thinning of old apple trees does not affect the taste of apples”
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