TY - JOUR

T1 - Necked strawberries are especially susceptible to cracking

AU - Hurtado, Grecia

AU - Knoche, Moritz

N1 - Funding Information: We thank Bendix Meyer, Heike, Karl Walter and Martin Brüggenwirth for the gift of fruit, Hana Weiß, Marcel Pasta and Peter Grimm-Wetzel for technical support and Sandy Lang and Jannis Straube for helpful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (KN 402/19-1). The publication of this article was funded by the Open Access fund of the Leibniz Universität Hannover. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

PY - 2023/5/11

Y1 - 2023/5/11

N2 - Fruit cracking is a commercially important disorder that reduces both quantity and quality of strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.). The objective was to identify the physiological mechanism of cracking and the factors affecting cracking. Cracking is more common in necked than in normal-shaped fruit. Most macroscopic cracks (‘macrocracks’) occur in the seedless neck. Large fruit is more cracking susceptible than medium size or small fruit. Macrocrack orientation is predominantly latitudinal in the proximal region of the neck and longitudinal in the mid and distal regions of the neck. The neck region of necked fruit has a thicker cuticle than the body of necked or normal-shaped fruit. The vascular bundles in the neck (seedless) are orientated longitudinally, while those in the body (with seeds) are both longitudinal and radial. Epidermal cells in the neck region are elongated longitudinally, with those in the proximal region of the neck being more elongated than those in the mid or distal regions of the neck. Cuticular microcracking was more severe in necked fruit than in normal-shaped fruit. The orientations of the microcracks matched those of the macrocracks, i.e., latitudinal in the proximal neck and longitudinal in the mid and distal neck regions. Following artificial incisions (blade), gaping was significantly more pronounced in necked than in normal-shaped fruit. Incubation of fruit in deionized water induced macrocracks in about 75% of fruit. Necked fruit cracked more than normal-shaped fruit. Most macrocracks were oriented latitudinally in the proximal neck and longitudinally in the distal neck regions. The results indicate cracking results from excessive growth strains which are further increased by surface water uptake.

AB - Fruit cracking is a commercially important disorder that reduces both quantity and quality of strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.). The objective was to identify the physiological mechanism of cracking and the factors affecting cracking. Cracking is more common in necked than in normal-shaped fruit. Most macroscopic cracks (‘macrocracks’) occur in the seedless neck. Large fruit is more cracking susceptible than medium size or small fruit. Macrocrack orientation is predominantly latitudinal in the proximal region of the neck and longitudinal in the mid and distal regions of the neck. The neck region of necked fruit has a thicker cuticle than the body of necked or normal-shaped fruit. The vascular bundles in the neck (seedless) are orientated longitudinally, while those in the body (with seeds) are both longitudinal and radial. Epidermal cells in the neck region are elongated longitudinally, with those in the proximal region of the neck being more elongated than those in the mid or distal regions of the neck. Cuticular microcracking was more severe in necked fruit than in normal-shaped fruit. The orientations of the microcracks matched those of the macrocracks, i.e., latitudinal in the proximal neck and longitudinal in the mid and distal neck regions. Following artificial incisions (blade), gaping was significantly more pronounced in necked than in normal-shaped fruit. Incubation of fruit in deionized water induced macrocracks in about 75% of fruit. Necked fruit cracked more than normal-shaped fruit. Most macrocracks were oriented latitudinally in the proximal neck and longitudinally in the distal neck regions. The results indicate cracking results from excessive growth strains which are further increased by surface water uptake.

KW - Cuticle

KW - Fragaria × ananassa

KW - Macrocrack

KW - Microcrack

KW - Rupture

KW - Splitting

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85162796331&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.7717/peerj.15402

DO - 10.7717/peerj.15402

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85162796331

VL - 11

JO - PEERJ

JF - PEERJ

SN - 2167-8359

M1 - e15402

ER -