News about Andrea Giovannini

Regulating fruit load to improve sweet cherry quality under plastic covers

Tech management

14 Oct 2024

A Chilean study examined four levels of fruit load over two consecutive seasons. The results showed that reducing the fruit load, especially in the 60% and 40% treatments, significantly improved cherries weight, size, and firmness. However, the yield was unaffected.

New opportunities for improving fruit firmness through the genome sequencing of Chinese cherry

Breeding

10 Oct 2024

By comparing the Chinese cherry genome with those of other Prunus species it was observed that the two species diverged around 18.34 million years ago. However, Prunus pseudocerasus has much softer fruits compared to sweet cherry.

Paecilomyces maximus: a new threat to cherry trees in Turkey

Crop protection

08 Oct 2024

To precisely identify the pathogen responsible, the researchers took samples of infected wood from various trees. The samples were superficially disinfected and grown on an agar medium (the PDA) to observe the growth of the fungus.

Biodiesel production from sour cherry kernel oil

Processed

01 Oct 2024

Attraverso un'analisi cinetica della reazione di metanolisi, i ricercatori sono riusciti a modellare il processo utilizzando due modelli: uno basato su una reazione pseudo-primo ordine e l'altro sul comportamento auto-catalitico del meccanismo di reazione (CRM-AB).

A new biodegradable film for sweet cherry packaging

Post-harvest​

26 Sep 2024

A group of Chinese researchers has developed a biodegradable composite film made from gelatin, pectin, and cellulose nanofibers (CNF), enriched with an antibacterial agent called polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride (PHMB).

Trunk diameter variations as indicators of water stress in sweet cherry trees

Tech management

23 Sep 2024

A Spanish study used sensors to monitor trunk diameter variations (dendrometers) in “Lapins” cherry trees, comparing various indices derived from these data with the traditional stem water potential, considered one of the most reliable indicators of plant water stress.

The importance of wood age, rootstock, and cultivar in sweet cherry cultivation

Tech management

20 Sep 2024

A recent study conducted Ukraine focused on the influence that wood age has on key sweet cherry productivity parameters. The results showed that wood age is one of the main factors determining productivity: three-year-old wood sections showed the highest flower density.

Sweet cherry packaging: the use of perforated bags to maintain quality

Post-harvest​

19 Sep 2024

A study by Chinese and American researchers analyzed the effectiveness of different perforation levels in zipper-lock bags to extend the freshness of “Chelan” and “Lapins” sweet cherry cultivars. The goal was to reduce the weight loss and improve resistance during post-harvest.

The influence of trunk height on sweet cherry quality

Quality

18 Sep 2024

Interestingly, cherries from trees with a trunk height of 60-65 cm retained their quality for a longer period compared to those from other heights, showing less weight loss and maintaining a higher level of firmness and soluble solids.

Bio-insecticides Based on Terpenes and Phenylpropanoids as Alternatives for the Control of Drosophila suzukii

13 Sep 2024

A recent study conducted by Brazilian researchers investigated the effectiveness of specific terpenes and phenylpropanoids in controlling D. suzukii and evaluated their effects on non-target organisms, showing interesting results on their potential as bio-pesticides.