Abstract
The increased demand for higher-quality, longer-lasting blueberries has led to the development of preharvest strategies to improve their structural integrity sustainably. This study analysed the effects of the foliar application of two biostimulant–calcium (Ca) combinations, using Ecklonia maxima extract (EM + Ca) and glycine betaine (GB + Ca), on yield, biometric, mechanical, and histological properties, as well as cuticular wax composition of blueberries. Both biostimulants increased yield per plant and fruit weight and size in ‘Duke’, with superior results for GB + Ca. Fruit yield increased by 80% with GB + Ca and 40% with EM + Ca. Histological analysis showed increases in cuticle thickness, epidermal cell area and thickness, and hypodermal cell area and area/perimeter ratio. This thicker, denser tissue ultimately improved blueberries’ mechanical properties. Specifically, ‘Draper’ berries treated with GB + Ca had 36%, 15%, and 20% higher values for flesh firmness, stiffness, and deformation work, respectively, relative to the control. However, cuticular wax accumulation was more pronounced with EM + Ca for the ‘Duke’ cultivar, increasing by 12%. Overall, GB + Ca had the greatest impact on blueberry structural quality and may represent a promising strategy to improve postharvest quality and commercial production.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record; open copy licensed cc-by. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Both biostimulants increased Duke yield per plant.
- Taxon
- Blueberryt0
- Material
- ‘Duke’e0
- Treatment
- Both biostimulantse0
- Outcome
- yield per plante0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Both biostimulants increased yield per plant and fruit weight and size in ‘Duke’, with superior results for GB + Ca”
t0“Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Both biostimulants increased Duke fruit weight and size.
- Taxon
- Blueberryt0
- Material
- ‘Duke’e0
- Treatment
- Both biostimulantse0
- Outcome
- fruit weight and sizee0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Both biostimulants increased yield per plant and fruit weight and size in ‘Duke’, with superior results for GB + Ca”
t0“Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
GB plus calcium increased fruit yield by 80%.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Fruit yield increased by 80% with GB + Ca and 40% with EM + Ca”
t0“Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
EM plus calcium increased fruit yield by 40%.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Fruit yield increased by 80% with GB + Ca and 40% with EM + Ca”
t0“Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Treatment increased cuticle thickness and epidermal cell area and thickness.
- Taxon
- Blueberryt0
- Treatment
- biostimulant–calciumt0
- Outcome
- cuticle thickness, epidermal cell area and thicknesse0
- Direction
- increasese0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Histological analysis showed increases in cuticle thickness, epidermal cell area and thickness, and hypodermal cell area and area/perimeter ratio”
t0“Biostimulant–Calcium Application Enhances Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Treatment increased hypodermal cell area and area/perimeter ratio.
- Taxon
- Blueberryt0
- Treatment
- biostimulant–calciumt0
- Outcome
- hypodermal cell area and area/perimeter ratioe0
- Direction
- increasese0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Histological analysis showed increases in cuticle thickness, epidermal cell area and thickness, and hypodermal cell area and area/perimeter ratio”
t0“Biostimulant–Calcium Application Enhances Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
GB plus calcium increased Draper flesh firmness by 36% relative to control.
Verbatim
e0“‘Draper’ berries treated with GB + Ca had 36%, 15%, and 20% higher values for flesh firmness, stiffness, and deformation work, respectively, relative to the control”
t0“Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
GB plus calcium increased Draper stiffness by 15% relative to control.
Verbatim
e0“‘Draper’ berries treated with GB + Ca had 36%, 15%, and 20% higher values for flesh firmness, stiffness, and deformation work, respectively, relative to the control”
t0“Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
GB plus calcium increased Draper deformation work by 20% relative to control.
Verbatim
e0“‘Draper’ berries treated with GB + Ca had 36%, 15%, and 20% higher values for flesh firmness, stiffness, and deformation work, respectively, relative to the control”
t0“Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
EM plus calcium increased Duke cuticular wax accumulation by 12%.
- Taxon
- Blueberryt0
- Material
- ‘Duke’e0
- Treatment
- EM + Cae0
- Outcome
- cuticular wax accumulatione0
- Direction
- increasinge0
- Value
- 12%e0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“cuticular wax accumulation was more pronounced with EM + Ca for the ‘Duke’ cultivar, increasing by 12%”
t0“Blueberry”
The same questions in other papers
calcium atom · yield · VacciniumPositive and negative results
1 in the opposite direction
- no effect
calcium atom · quality: postharvest · VacciniumPositive and negative results
1 paper in the same direction as this paper · 3 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- no effect
- no effect
1 paper more in this group
See all 5 papers →glycine betaine · yield · VacciniumResults agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
glycine betaine · quality: postharvest · VacciniumResults agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
other · yield · VacciniumPositive and negative results
1 in the opposite direction
- no effect
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.