fruit
Computerized tool takes a bite out of traditional apple testing
When it comes to apples, consumers like a crisp bite. Apple breeders know that crispness is one of the most important “sensory attributes” in apples. Because new apple varieties must be tested for these attribute before being introduce…
String blossom thinner proves effective across stages of bloom development
BIGLERVILLE, PA — Blossom or fruitlet thinning is a labor-intensive part of commercial peach and nectarine production. The use of mechanical string blossom thinners has been shown to reduce labor requirements and improve fruit size in peach c…
Planning and visualization lead to better food habits
If you want to improve the way you eat, the best way to do so is to both make an action plan and visualize yourself carrying it out, according to McGill researchers.
“Telling people to just change the way they eat doesn’t work; we’ve known that f…
Figuring out fetal alcohol syndrome in fruit flies
Drinking excess alcohol during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) due to the damaging effects of alcohol on a developing baby’s brain. Despite its harmful effects, pregnant mothers continue to drink alcohol — up to 3 in every 1000 ba…
Chocolate is a ‘super fruit’
It is widely known that fruit contains antioxidants which may be beneficial to health. New research published in the open access journal Chemistry Central Journal demonstrates that chocolate is a rich source of antioxidants and contains more poly…
Hybrid string blossom thinner tested in peach orchards
GETTYSBURG, PA — Peach producers have traditionally relied heavily on hand thinning, a necessary but costly and labor-intensive field practice. Impacted by increasing labor costs and a limited workforce, peach and other stone fruit growers are…
UNC scientists pinpoint link between light signal and circadian rhythms
Chapel Hill, NC — In a new paper published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Aziz Sancar, MD, PhD, the Sarah Graham Kenan Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics in the UNC School of Medicine, and his colleagues ha…