Publications
NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.
2015
Abstract
The shelf life of plum fruit (Prunus domestica) is limited due to among other factors fungal fruit decay. Absorbent pads (“fruit pads”) are commercially used today in order to absorb juice from the berries and condense water and hence reduce fungal growth. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of different types of absorbent pads on weight loss, decay and quality for plum fruit under realistic storage conditions. Plum fruit (‘Reeves’ and ‘Jubileum’) were delivered at a commercial packing house, packed in trays on a flow packaging machine with three different types of absorbent pads placed at the bottom of the trays (standard fruit pad and two humidity control pads with different active compounds; denoted active pad 1 and 2). Trays without pads were controls. After packaging, plums were stored at 3 or 6°C for 7 days and thereafter 2 days at 20°C. Fruit quality, weight loss and amount of fungal decay were recorded at the end of the storage period. The different pads had no significant effects on ripeness state measured by DA-meter and fruit firmness measured at end of storage. The pads had significantly different effect on weight loss, and for ‘Jubileum’ the weight loss was 1.5% for the active pad 1, 2.5% for the active pad 2 and below 1% for the standard pad and the control. Significant effects were found for cultivar and absorbent pads on the total amount of decayed fruit. ‘Jubileum’ was more vulnerable to decay than ‘Reeves’, and the active pad 2 had the lowest number of decayed ‘Jubileum’ fruit stored at 3°C. More work and a cost-benefit analysis should be performed before absorbent pads are recommended for plum fruit.
Abstract
The shelf life of plum fruit (Prunus domestica) is limited due to among other factors fungal fruit decay. Absorbent pads (“fruit pads”) are commercially used today in order to absorb juice from the berries and condense water and hence reduce fungal growth. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of different types of absorbent pads on weight loss, decay and quality for plum fruit under realistic storage conditions. Plum fruit (‘Reeves’ and ‘Jubileum’) were delivered at a commercial packing house, packed in trays on a flow packaging machine with three different types of absorbent pads placed at the bottom of the trays (standard fruit pad and two humidity control pads with different active compounds; denoted active pad 1 and 2). Trays without pads were controls. After packaging, plums were stored at 3 or 6°C for 7 days and thereafter 2 days at 20°C. Fruit quality, weight loss and amount of fungal decay were recorded at the end of the storage period. The different pads had no significant effects on ripeness state measured by DA-meter and fruit firmness measured at end of storage. The pads had significantly different effect on weight loss, and for ‘Jubileum’ the weight loss was 1.5% for the active pad 1, 2.5% for the active pad 2 and below 1% for the standard pad and the control. Significant effects were found for cultivar and absorbent pads on the total amount of decayed fruit. ‘Jubileum’ was more vulnerable to decay than ‘Reeves’, and the active pad 2 had the lowest number of decayed ‘Jubileum’ fruit stored at 3°C. More work and a cost-benefit analysis should be performed before absorbent pads are recommended for plum fruit.
Authors
E.J. Ahrenfeldt B.K. Klatt J. Arildsen Nina Trandem G.K.S. Andersson T. Tscharntke H.G. Smith L. SigsgaardAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Christian Guido BrucknerAbstract
No abstract has been registered
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Abstract
Reasons for performing study: Horses may adapt to a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions. Owners often interfere with this natural thermoregulation ability by clipping and use of blankets. Objectives: To investigate the effects of different winter weather conditions on shelter seeking behaviour of horses and their preference for additional heat. Study design: Observational study in various environments. Methods: Mature horses (n=22) were given a free choice test between staying outdoors, going into a heated shelter compartment or into a nonheated shelter compartment. Horse location and behaviour was scored using instantaneous sampling every minute for one hour. Each horse was tested once per day and weather factors were continuously recorded by a local weather station. Results: The weather conditions influenced time spent outdoors, ranging from 52 % (of all observations) on days with mild temperatures, wind and rain to 88 % on days with less than 0°C and dry weather. Shivering was only observed during mild temperatures and rain/sleet. Small Warmblood horses were observed to select outdoors less (34 % of all observations) than small Coldblood horses (80 %). We found significant correlations between hair coat sample weight and number of observations outdoors (ρ = 0.23; P = 0.004). Conclusions: Horses selected shelters the most on days with precipitation and horses changed from a nonheated compartment to a heated compartment as weather changed from calm and dry to wet and windy. Horse breed category affected the use of shelter and body condition score and hair coat weight were associated with voluntary shelter selection.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered