No description available.

Temperate deciduous fruit trees have poor and delayed bud break when they are grown in warm areas. The delay is due to a lack of the chilling which is required to break bud endodormancy. Bud endodormancy can be overcome in some species by treatments such as H₂CN₂, heat, and bud scale removal. We tested the effects of chilling, H₂CN₂, heat, and removing scales on bud break of floral and vegetative buds of 'Tifblue' rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade). Hydrogen cyanamide was effective in promoting floral bud break of 'Tifblue' only on whole plants, at chilling exposures between 300 to 500 hours. However, vegetative bud break was increased by H₂CN₂ at a wider range of ~hilling exposures than floral buds in both whole plants and cut shoots. Optimum vegetative bud break was induced by H₂CN₂ at 125 and 250 mM for whole plants and cut shoots, respectively. Hydrogen cyanamide was highly phytotoxic to floral buds compared to vegetative buds. However, floral buds of whole plants became tolerant to H₂CN₂ as chilling increased. Injury to vegetative buds was significant only at 500 mM H₂CN₂. The chilling requirement for 'Tifblue' floral buds of whole plants was 500 hours. In contrast, vegetative buds did not have a significant relationship with chilling exposure in either cut shoots or whole plants. Heat treatment was effective in promoting floral bud break of cut shoots only at 190 chilling hours at 30 minutes heat exposure. Heat (47°C) for I hr was effective in promoting vegetative bud break, but the effectiveness varied with chilling level and depended on time of heat exposure. Bud scale removal did not promote floral bud break, but increased vegetative bud break, although not significant compared to control. Finally, we discovered that vegetative buds remained dormant even after they had received more than adequate chilling. However, both H₂CN₂ treatment and floral bud removal resulted in increased vegetative bud break, although the effect of H₂CN₂ was less than floral bud removal. This suggests that vegetative buds were inhibited by floral buds and that H₂CN₂ could partially overcome this paradormant effect. / Master of Science

Listeria monocytogenes represents a high risk for consumers, because it causes severe illness. This work studied in-vitro growth and survival of L. monocytogenes in media acidified with malic acid, lactic acid or blueberry extract. The growth of L. monocytogenes and shelf life extension of fresh blueberries were evaluated after storage at 4 deg C or 12 deg C under different controlled atmosphere conditions, including air (control); 5% O2 and 15% CO2, 80% N2 (CAS); or ozone gas (O3) 4ppm at 4 deg C or 2.5ppm at 12 deg C, at high relative humidity (90-95%) for a total of 10 days. L. monocytogenes growth in tryptic soy broth with yeast extract (TSB+YE) mixed with different acid solutions (malic acid, lactic acid and blueberry extract) and incubated at 25 deg C for 24h, was calculated measuring optical density. Complete inhibition occurred in the presence of treatments including malic acid pH 2.0 and pH 3.0; lactic acid pH 2.0, pH 3.0 and pH 4.0; and with blueberry extract pH 2.0 in the mixture. After 6h, there were significant differences among growing treatments. At 18h, there were no significant differences in turbidity among media mixed with blueberry extract at pH 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0, and their optical density values were higher than treatments including media mixed with malic acid 5.0 or lactic acid 5.0. Blueberry extract was not an effective acidifying media and acid adapted L. monocytogenes grew in acidified media. Fresh blueberries inoculated with L. monocytogenes were stored at 4 deg C or 12 deg C under different controlled atmosphere conditions (Air, CAS or O3 4ppm at 4 deg C or 2.5ppm at 12 deg C) and sampled on day 0, 1, 4, 7 and 10 for bacterial growth, weight loss, firmness and yeast and molds counts. CAS did not delay or inhibit Listeria monocytogenes, yeast, or molds by day 10. Storage at 4 deg C showed lower weight loss values compared to 12 deg C. Ozone controlled weight loss and firmness loss. Moreover, gaseous ozone achieved 3 and 2 log reductions when compared with air at 4 deg C and 12 deg C, respectively. / Ph. D.

Tirta šilauogės (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) vaisių biologiškai aktyvių junginių (antocianų) kiekinė ir kokybinė sudėtis. Tyrimo tikslas. Ištirti Lietuvoje introdukuotų šilauogių (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) veislių uogų kokybinę ir kiekybinę sudėtį, bei įvertinti uogų, uogos luobelių, minkštimo ir išspaudų ekstraktų antioksidacinį poveikį. Sodinių šilauogių kultūra sukurta XX amžiaus pradžioje JAV. Į Lietuvą pirmosios Šilauogės įvežtos 1969-aisiais metais ir iki šiol tyrinėjamos Lietuvos mokslininkų. Šilauogės priskiriamos prie netradicinių augalų, kurie buvo introdukuoti praeitame šimtmetyje. Bendras antocianų kiekis šilauogių uogose nustatytas spektrofotometriniu metodu. Didžiausi antocianų kiekiai nustatyti uogų luobelėse („Rancocas“ veislės luobelėse). Mažiausi antocianų kiekiai nustatyti uogų minkštime. Kiekinė antocianidinų sudėtis nustatyta efektyviosios skysčių chromatografijos metodu. Atlikus tyrimus efektyviosios skysčių chromatogarfijos metodu, nustatyta, kad antocianidin�� kokybinė sudėtis uogoje ir jos dalyse yra identiška. Nustatyta, kad šilauogės uogose, luobelėse, minkštime ir išspaudose vyraujantis antocianidinas – malvidinas. Šio tyrimo metu siekta nustatyti ir įvertinti antioksidacinį šilauogių uogų, minkštimų, luobelių ir išspaudų poveikį.Šilauogės uogų ekstraktuose didžiausiu suminiu aktyvumu pasižymi „Berkeley“ veislė, kur inaktyvuoto DPPH laisvojo radikalo kiekis siekia 82,31 proc. / Qualitative and quantitative composition of anthocyanins in blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.)fruits and their parts was assayed. The aim of our study was to evaluate total anthocyanin content and their composition in blueberries fruits, fruit skins, fruit pulp and pomace. For the quantification of total anthocyanins in fruits and their parts, spectrophotometrical assay was performed. The highest amount of anthocyanins was found in blueberry fruit skins ( in ‚Rancocas‘ cultivar skins). The lowest amount of anthocyanins found in blueberry friut pulp. High-performance liquid chromatography was applied for qualitative evaluation of individual anthocyanidins in the different material. Chromatographic analysis has shown that there are no differences in qualitative composition of anthocyanidins. In fruits and their parts, malvidin was found in the highest quantities. Difefernt cultivars of Vaccinium corymbosum L. species were analyzed for total antioxidant capacity. The highest amount of total antioxidant capacity was faud in ‚Berkeley‘ cultivar in fuits extract.

The agri-food sector is responsible for 26% of the total global carbon emissions. This puts the sector under the critical eye of the world, which demands radical solutions to this. For this, alternatives to unsustainable practices have already been implemented and have led to the transformation of the systems into more sustainable ones. And, studies that seek to understand these transformations have been carried out, which belong to the Sustainability Transitions field. However, this branch of studies has been more prominent in countries of the northern hemisphere, and not so much in countries of the south. This is why, this study aimed to extend the knowledge on sustainability transitions in countries from the global south by studying the case of the blueberry sector in Peru, and the possible factors that may be hindering or boosting a sustainable transition. The study focused on the evaluation of secondary data on the context and relevant events within the blueberry sector in Peru from 2004 to 2021, also interviews were held to support the information gathered previously. The study showed that factors that act as a booster for a transition, within the Peruvian context, are the price of a product in the global market, and also the enactment of certain laws that promote certain activities like organic production. Also, those hindering factors were the price of cultivation of the blueberries and the activity of informal institutions called “services”. Moreover, the study shows that two out of the three alternatives for sustainable change that were analyzed lacked consideration for social sustainability aspects. Finally, the insights provided in this study could help to better understand how sustainability transitions could unravel in similar South American regions.

In northern Saskatchewan, Canada, there are several active and decommissioned uranium mines and mills licensed by Canada's nuclear regulator, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). In these areas, Indigenous communities harvest traditional foods and Canadian diet studies have identified wild berries as an important part of their diet (Furgal, Powell, & Myers, 2005), (Roseanne C. Schuster, 2011), (Health Canada, 2010). Food ingestion is recognized as an exposure pathway of anthropogenic and naturally occurring radioactive materials and trace metals (Kuhnlein & Chan, 2000) and some communities may be concerned their traditional foods are contaminated from facility operations. Wild blueberries and the soil the plant roots grew in were sampled approximately 10-25 kms away from CNSC-licensed facilities in northern Saskatchewan. As a comparison, commercially-available blueberries and soil were collected from Ontario farms and blueberries were obtained from grocery stores. Samples were analyzed for trace elemental concentrations by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and radionuclide activity concentrations were measured. Annual ingestion dose for blueberry consumption was conservatively estimated to be 0.0079 mSv/a. The blueberry results were compared to international guidelines and published literature and were not found to pose an ingestion health risk. The activity concentrations in blueberries ranged between 0.001-0.006 Bq/g d.w. for ²¹⁰Po and 0.003-0.005 Bq/g d.w. for ²¹⁰Pb and the concentrations of cadmium and arsenic in blueberries ranged between 0.002-0.07 μg/g and 0.0002-0.007 μg/g, respectively. This research project identifies geochemical relationships between radionuclides and trace elements in blueberries, examines the uptake chemistry, environmental cycling of radionuclides and trace elements, and the soil mineralogy and composition, helps inform CNSC's regulatory decision-making process, and supports future human health risk communication with Indigenous communities.

La presente investigación busca determinar los factores que influenciaron en la evolución de las exportaciones de arándanos peruanos a Países Bajos durante los años 2012 - 2017. En el primer capítulo, se abordarán conceptos relacionados al comercio exterior, desde teorías de liberalización hasta acuerdos comerciales; actores como Perú y Países Bajos; aspectos relacionados al arándano y además de revisar qué son los factores críticos de éxito, internos y externos. Asimismo, en el segundo capítulo se expondrá el planteamiento de la investigación tanto como el problema, hipótesis y objetivos principales y específicos. En el tercer capítulo se explicará el método de investigación utilizado a partir del cual se determinará la muestra, categorías, procedimiento, procesamiento de los resultados y la clasificación de las categorías. En el cuarto capítulo se presentan los hallazgos de la investigación en relación con las entrevistas realizadas a cada participante. Se analizó la información y se plasmó en tablas de acuerdo con el número de menciones por factor para determinar a los que tuvieron mayor influencia en la evolución de las exportaciones. Finalmente, en las conclusiones se presenta el factor que tuvo mayor impacto para luego determinar si se cumplieron los objetivos de la investigación y la hipótesis. / This research seeks to determine the factors that influenced the evolution of exports of Peruvian blueberries to the Netherlands during the years 2012 - 2017. In the first chapter, concepts related to foreign trade will be addressed, from liberalization theories to commercial agreements; actors such as Peru and the Netherlands; aspects related to blueberry and reviewing what are the critical success factors, internal and external. Likewise, in the second chapter, the research approach will be exposed as well as the main and specific problem, hypothesis and objectives. In the third chapter the research method used will be explained, from which the sample, categories, procedure, processing of the results and the classification of the categories. In the fourth chapter the findings of the research are presented in relation to the interviews made to each participant of the different segments. The information was analyzed and expressed in tables according to the number of mentions per factor to determine those that had the greatest influence on the evolution of exports. Finally, the conclusions show the factor that had the greatest impact and then determine if the objectives of the research and the hypothesis were met. / Tesis

The Mountain Hemlock (MH) zone includes all subalpine forests along British Columbia’s coast. It occurs at elevations where most precipitation falls as snow and the growing season is less than 4 months long. The zone includes the continuous forest of the forested subzones and the tree islands of the parkland subzones (Figure 1). Old-growth stands are populated by mountain hemlock, Pacific silver fir, and Alaska yellow-cedar, and are among the least-disturbed ecosystems in the world. Canopy trees grow slowly and are commonly older than 600 years, while some Alaska yellow-cedars may be up to 2000 years old. Early regeneration failures followed slashburning and the planting of unsuitable species. Currently, the most successful and feasible option for reforesting cutovers is natural regeneration with a mix of the three main tree species, but uncertainties remain about the temporal and spatial pattern of regeneration, changes in species composition, and the time required for stand establishment after cutting. Our study addressed these concerns by examining regeneration patterns on 6 sites that were clearcut 11-12 years prior to sampling and left to regenerate naturally. The sites were located at the lower limits of the zone in the Tetrahedron Range, near Sechelt, at elevations from 1060-1100m.

El arándano es un fruto que se está desarrollando en el Perú, con un gran incremento en las exportaciones, el presente trabajo se dirige a las empresas Mypes en Cañete. Estas empresas que están comenzando el negocio no saben cómo gestionar sus costos, haciendo que tengan gastos innecesarios y tomando malas decisiones, es por ello que a través de la siguiente investigación hemos desarrollado la metodología ABC, con el fin de que su gestión pueda mejorar, haciendo a las empresas más competitivas en el mercado. / The blueberry is a fruit that is being developed in Peru, with a great increase in exports, this work is aimed at Mypes companies in Cañete. These companies that are starting the business do not know how to manage their costs, causing them to have unnecessary expenses and make bad decisions, that is why through the following research we have developed the ABC methodology, in order that their management can improve, making most competitive companies in the market. / Tesis

El presente proyecto de investigación se enfoca en la mejora del proceso del planeamiento y control de operaciones basada en la aplicación de los conceptos de la gestión por procesos para la mejora de los resultados en las mypes arandaneras ubicadas en la provincia de Cañete, Perú. Generalmente, las pequeñas empresas no cuentan con un sistema estándar en sus procesos, generando deficiencias en sus operaciones a lo largo de su campaña productiva. Según el análisis realizado, estas deficiencias se ven reflejadas en la rentabilidad del negocio, con una pérdida del margen de 7.47% o $323 565; por ello, se propone un modelo estándar de planeamiento y control de operaciones para ayudar a las pequeñas empresas a estructurar, alinear e integrar cada entregable de los subprocesos como los planes, programas y controles necesarios en las operaciones del cultivo de arándanos. / This research project focuses on the improvement of Operations planning and control process based on the application of the concepts of process management concepts to improve the results in the blueberry companies located in Cañete, Peru. Generally, small companies do not have a standard model in their processes, generating deficiencies in their operations throughout their production campaign. According to the analysis carried out, these deficiencies are reflected in the business profitability, with a margin loss of 7.47% or $ 323,565; therefore, a standard model of planning and control of operations is proposed to help small companies to structure, align and integrate each deliverable of the sub-processes such as the plans, programs and controls necessary in the operations of the blueberry cultivation. / Tesis