• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.109-116
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• 2018

We investigated the effects of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colony size on the pollination of greenhouse-cultivated watermelon grown under the forcing cultivation system. The highest pollination activity of bees was observed ($14.3{\pm}5.0$ honey bees/day) when the bee colony size was 10,000 followed by 7,500 and 5,000 honey bees. There was a positive correlation between the bee colony size and pollination activity (R = 0.262) but insignificant difference in fruit set with different honey bee colony sizes (88%-91%). Evaluation of physical properties revealed that the weight and shape of watermelon were also not significantly different among different colony sizes. However, larger the bee colony size, higher the number of seeds were fertilized and rate of seed fertilization (p > 0.05). Number of seeds and content of sugar were negatively correlated (R = -0.714). Fertilized seeds showed a significant increase in mealy flesh, which has a negative effect on fruit quality, compared with that of the unfertilized seeds. Overall, we found that a colony size of 5,000 honey bees was the most effective for the pollination of watermelon grown under forcing cultivation. A comparison of the effects of bee pollination with those of artificial pollination suggested that artificial pollination can be effectively replaced by bee pollination in the forcing cultivation of watermelon, because fruit set, weight, and shape by bee pollination were similar to those achieved by artificial pollination.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.258-263
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• 2007

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of number of the lower scaffold limbs on tree growth, light penetration, fruit yield, and fruit quality in slender spindle in 6-year-old 'Fuji'/M.9 apple trees. With regard to the growth by the numbers of the lower scaffold limbs, the width of the tree was wide and the growth of new shoots was increased when the number of the lower scaffold limbs was five. Compare with other treatments, five lower scaffold limbs showed high light-interception on the upper (150 cm above the ground) and middle (100 cm above the ground) canopy. There was no difference in the total number of the flower buds of the spurs according to the number of scaffold limbs, but the number and cross section area of flower bud on the lower canopy (120 cm above the ground) were increased where the number of the lower scaffold limbs was five. Fruit yield was highest in the treated with five lower scaffold limbs and fruit weight tended to increase where the number of the lower scaffold limbs was five or eight. With regard to fruit quality, there showed no difference in fruit shape index, firmness, acid content, Hunter L and b value according to the location of canopy and the number of the lower scaffold limbs, but the content of soluble solids was highest treated with five lower scaffold limbs. Hunter a value indicating fruit color was found to be highest treated with five lower scaffold limbs whose light interception was highest.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.252-257
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• 2012

Purpose: The net rind pattern and color of melon surface are important for a high market value of melon fruits. The development of the net and color are closely related to the changes in shape, size, and maturing. Therefore, the net and color characteristics can be used indicators for assessment of melon quality. The goal of this study was to investigate the possibility of estimating melon soluble solids content (SSC) and firmness by analyzing the net and color characteristics of fruit surface. Methods: The true color images of melon surface obtained at fruit equator were analyzed with 18 color features and 9 texture features. The partial least squares (PLS) method was used to estimate SSC and firmness in melons using their color and texture features. Results: In sensing melon SSC, the coefficients of determination of validation (${R_v}^2$) of the prediction models using the color and texture features were 0.84 (root mean square error of validation, RMSEV: 1.92 $^{\circ}Brix$) and 0.96 (RMSEV: 0.60 $^{\circ}Brix$), respectively. The ${R_v}^2$ values of the models for predicting melon firmness using the color and texture features were 0.64 (RMSEV: 4.62 N) and 0.79 (RMSEV: 2.99 N), respectively. Conclusions: In general, the texture features were more useful for estimating melon internal quality than the color features. However, to strengthen the usefulness of the color and texture features of melon surface for estimation of melon quality, additional experiments with more fruit samples need to be conducted.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.245-251
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• 2022

BACKGROUND: Selection an suitable light source is essential in the year-round production of horticultural crops in closed production systems such as plant factory with controlled environments. This study was investigated to confirm the effects of artificial light sources on growth of cherry tomato'CF Jelly'(Lycopersicon esculentum var.) under high-pressure sodium lamps (HPS), metal-halide lamps (MH), and LEDs. METHODS AND RESULTS: Light intensity of the light sources was controlled at 220±30 µmol/m²/s with 12 hrs of photoperiod for a day. Flower development was significantly faster in HPS and MH treatments compared to the LEDs. There was no significant difference between the leaf number and leaf shape under the HPS and MH treatments. Reproductive growth of cherry tomato was significantly promoted by the LEDs treatment of blue plus red lights. Fruit yield per plant also increased under the LEDs compared to the others. CONCLUSION(S): Growth, flowering, and fruit setting of the cherry tomato were accomplished by the artificial lights under plant factory conditions. The HPS treatment showed negative effect on fruit quality in terms of blossom-end rot incidence compared to the LEDs or MH treatment. Effect of the LEDs on promotion of fruit weight and yield was also proved. Additional research should be carried out for improving sugar metabolism or decreasing disease in the fruits under plant factory system using only artificial lights.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.625-630
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• 2010

The berry thinning was a useful practice to reduce bunch size and to alter bunch shape for improving fruit quality. The grape cv. 'Muscat Bailey A' bunches were removed to find berry thinning effect on the bunch, in the apical end of the main stem about 4~6 laterals or conventional treatment and then compared a quality of fruit and wine between the treatments. Bunch weights on the different berry thinning treatment were in the range of 300 to 650g and conventional treatment was 550 to 750g. As a result, according to decreased lateral number of bunch in the treatments, total soluble sugar was increased but total acid was decreased. Our results was shown that wine color and taste components such as total anthocyanin, polyphenol and tannin were depended mainly by berry thinning. Also Berry thinning treatments of bunches was ranked higher sensory score than conventional ones.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Near Infrared Spectroscopy Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.1133-1133
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• 2001

Fruit sweetness, as indexed by total soluble solids (TSS), and fruit acidity are key factors in the description of the fruit eating quality. Our group has been using short wave NIR spectroscopy (SW-NIR; 700-1100 nm) in combination with chemometric methods (PLS and MLR) for the non-invasive determination of the fruit eating quality (1,2). In order to further improve calibration performance, we have investigated SW-NIR spectra of sucrose and D-glucose. In previous reports on the band assignment for these sugars in the 1100-2500 nm spectral region (3-7), it has been established that change in concentration, temperature and physical state of sugars reflects on the shape and position of the spectral bands in the whole NIR region(5-7). The effect of change in concentration and temperature of individual sugar solutions and sugar spiked Juice samples was analysed using combined spectroscopic (derivative, difference, 2D spectroscopy) and linear regression chemometric (PLS, MLR) techniques. The results have been compared with the spectral data of a range of fruit types, varying in TSS content and temperature. In the 800-950 nm spectral region, the B-coefficients for apples, peaches and nectarines resemble those generated in a calibration of pure sucrose in water (Fig. 1). As expected, these fruits exhibit better calibration and prediction results than those in which the B-coefficients were poorly related to those for sugar.(Figure omitted).

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.204-209
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• 2008

This experiment was conducted to analysis the fruit quality according to training method under low plastic film greenhouse cultivation on sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum cv Special) during summer culture. Training treatments were upright training and inclination training, the fruits were examined and analysed with a month interval from June to November on productivity, fiuit weight, flesh thickness, contents of soluble solids, hardness, shape, and locules. Productivity per month was the highest on June, upright training harvested more than inclination training. Fruit weight of inclination training on June was 232 g which was higher than 26 g of upright training, but upright training was heavier than inclination training after July. Flesh thickness of upright training was thicker than inclination training. Soluble solids content increased with the decrease of temperature, upright training was higher than inclination training. The fruit shape of upright training was not significant according to harvesting date. The number of locules of upright training was $3.27\sim3.34$, and it was not significant according to harvesting date.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Near Infrared Spectroscopy Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.1155-1155
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• 2001

The quality of agricultural products is very important factor for consumers. In Japan, quality is sometimes more important than cost. Usually, the quality of fresh food products is determined in terms of shape, color, size, etc. However, these indices are not always associated with taste, leaving consumers to complain. Recently, two types of the fruit quality meter (a tabletop type - K-FS200 and a portable type - K-BA100, Kubota Corp.) using NIR technology were introduced in Japan. A tabletop instrument is for post harvest use and a portable one is for precision agriculture use. The both meters use the NIR region from 600nm to 1000nm in the interactance mode to determine quality factors related to taste. The instruments can measure sugar content and acidity of such fruit as apples, tomatoes, tangerines and other fruits. The measurement is timely, nondestructive and precise. For example, the coefficient of variation (CV) is less than 6% for sugar in most fruits. The K-FS200 has been evaluated in supermarkets, grading facilities, and wholesalers in Japan. The introduction of the K-FS200) has drawn attention to taste quality and its use is becoming more popular. In addition, researchers or farmers are becoming interested in measuring product ingredient not only after harvest but also during growing in the field so that they can make intelligent judgements concerning soil amendments, such as fertilizers and water, employs the fiber probe for flexible measurement and is battery powered for field use. Design of the fruit quality meters will be discussed. Applications to fruit quality will be presented.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.53-56
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• 2007

The fruit rot of pumpkin caused by Sclerotium rolfsii occurred sporadically at Gyeongsangnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services, Korea in 2004 and 2005. The typical symptom of the disease included water-soaking, fruit rotting and wilting. White mycelial mats were spread over infected fruits and then sclerotia were formed on the lesions and near soil surface. The sclerotia were globoid in shape, 1$\sim$3 mm in size and white to brown in color. The optimum temperature for mycelial growth and sclerotia formation was at $30^{\circ}C$ on PDA and the hyphal width ranged from 4 to 8 ${\mu}m$. The typical clamp connections were observed in the hyphae of the fungus grown on PDA. On the basis of mycological characteristics and pathogenicity to host plants, this fungus was identified as Sclerotium rolfsii Saccardo. This is the first report on the fruit rot of Cucurbita spp. caused by S. rolfsii in Korea.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.87-89
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• 2008

A blue mold on tomato fruit caused by Penicillium oxalicum occurred sporadically in a greenhouse at Gyeongsangnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services. Infection usually occurred through wounds or cracks on the fruits. Symptoms began with water soaking lesions, then became watery and softened eventually. Colony of the causal fungus was white at the early growing stage, turned green on Czapek yeast extract agar and malt extract agar. Conidia were ellipsoidal in shape and $2-6{\times}2-4{\mu}m$ in size. Stipes were septate, smooth, thin walled, and $90-280{\times}3-4{\mu}m$ in size. Penicilli were mostly biverticillate. Ramuli were 1-3 groups, smooth, and $10-16{\times}2-3{\mu}m$ in size. Rami were 1-2 groups and $6-30{\times}2-4{\mu}m$ in size. Metulae were 2-3(5) verticils, smooth, and $12-20{\times}3-4{\mu}m$ in size. Phialides were 5-7 verticilate, ampulliform to cylindroidal, smooth, and $8-12{\times}2-3{\mu}m$ in size. Optimum temperature for growth was about $25^{\circ}C$. Pathogenicity of the fungus was proved on tomato fruit according to Koch's postulation. On the basis of mycological and pathological characteristics, the fungus was identified as P. oxalicum Currie & Thom. This is the first report of the blue mold on tomato fruit caused by P. oxalicum in Korea.