The saskatoon (Amelanchier Alnifolia Nutt.) is a woody shrub from the rose family. One of the main challenges to its culture is Entomosporium leaf and berry spot (ELBS) disease, which is caused by a hemibiothrophic fungus Entomosporium mespili (Sacc.). Due to the limited growth of the pathogen in vitro, we tested several culture media, and potato dextrose agar remained the best tested medium to grow the pathogen in vitro. E. mespili showed high variations in the morphology and sporulation of its cultures on PDA, which were not related to the geographic origin of the tested isolates. The amount of spores produced by the fungus in vitro was significantly high compared to its sporulation in nature. The use of liquid media such as potato broth was essential to produce enough mycelium for other experiments. The pathogen produced big spherical balls of mycelium where the nutrient and the aeration were sufficient. In absence of previous protocols to extract DNA from this pathogen, we tested several methods and determined a mixture of CTAB and SDS to be best for extraction of good quality DNA from E. mespili grown in vitro. Lyophilisation of E. mespili’s tissue and the addition of proteinase K to the extraction buffer reduced DNA degradation. To avoid the co-precipitation of polysaccharides with DNA, we used a high concentration of salt to precipitate polysaccharides, followed by a separation by phenol:chloroform:isoamyl (25:24:1). Molecular markers including Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and Amplified Fragments Length Polymorphism (AFLP) revealed a high level of polymorphism in E. mespili. The artificial inoculation gave different results from natural infection, with a high level of diversity both on detached leaves and seedlings. According to our tests, growing E. mespili in vitro reduced its pathogenicity.

The saskatoon (Amelanchier Alnifolia Nutt.) is a woody shrub from the rose family. One of the main challenges to its culture is Entomosporium leaf and berry spot (ELBS) disease, which is caused by a hemibiothrophic fungus Entomosporium mespili (Sacc.). Due to the limited growth of the pathogen in vitro, we tested several culture media, and potato dextrose agar remained the best tested medium to grow the pathogen in vitro. E. mespili showed high variations in the morphology and sporulation of its cultures on PDA, which were not related to the geographic origin of the tested isolates. The amount of spores produced by the fungus in vitro was significantly high compared to its sporulation in nature. The use of liquid media such as potato broth was essential to produce enough mycelium for other experiments. The pathogen produced big spherical balls of mycelium where the nutrient and the aeration were sufficient. In absence of previous protocols to extract DNA from this pathogen, we tested several methods and determined a mixture of CTAB and SDS to be best for extraction of good quality DNA from E. mespili grown in vitro. Lyophilisation of E. mespili’s tissue and the addition of proteinase K to the extraction buffer reduced DNA degradation. To avoid the co-precipitation of polysaccharides with DNA, we used a high concentration of salt to precipitate polysaccharides, followed by a separation by phenol:chloroform:isoamyl (25:24:1). Molecular markers including Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and Amplified Fragments Length Polymorphism (AFLP) revealed a high level of polymorphism in E. mespili. The artificial inoculation gave different results from natural infection, with a high level of diversity both on detached leaves and seedlings. According to our tests, growing E. mespili in vitro reduced its pathogenicity.

The study on dehydration of frozen saskatoon berries and the need for dried fruits has been strategically identified in the prairies. Our motivation was to find a suitable method for dehydration in order to extend saskatoon berry shelf life for preservation. Microwave, convection and microwave-convection combination drying processes were identified to finish-dry saskatoon berries after osmotic dehydration using sucrose and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) sugar solutions. Osmotic dehydration removes moisture in small quantities and also introduces solutes into the fruit that acts as a preservative and also reduces the total drying time. <p>Due to the very short harvesting season of saskatoon berries, an accelerated process like microwave combination drying can bring down the moisture to safe storage level, immediately after harvest. Untreated and osmotically dehydrated berries were subjected to convection (control), microwave and microwave-convection combination drying conditions at different product drying temperatures (60, 70 and 80C) until final moisture content was 25% dry basis. A laboratory-scale microwave combination dryer was developed, built with temperature and moisture loss data acquisition systems using LabView 6i software. Thin-layer cross flow dryer was used for convection-only drying and for comparison. <p>Drying kinetics of the drying processes were studied and curve fitting with five empirical equations including Page equation, was carried to determine drying constant, R2 and standard error values. The microwave-combination drying method proved to be the best for drying saskatoon berries. Dehydrated product quality analysis by means of color changes, rehydration ratio measurements and observed structural changes with scanning electron microscope technique were the factors in drying method selection for saskatoon berries.<p> This research was instrumental in the modification and development of a novel drying system for high-moisture agricultural materials. Microwave-convection combination drying at 70oC, yields good results with higher drying rates and better end-product quality.

The study on dehydration of frozen saskatoon berries and the need for dried fruits has been strategically identified in the prairies. Our motivation was to find a suitable method for dehydration in order to extend saskatoon berry shelf life for preservation. Microwave, convection and microwave-convection combination drying processes were identified to finish-dry saskatoon berries after osmotic dehydration using sucrose and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) sugar solutions. Osmotic dehydration removes moisture in small quantities and also introduces solutes into the fruit that acts as a preservative and also reduces the total drying time. <p>Due to the very short harvesting season of saskatoon berries, an accelerated process like microwave combination drying can bring down the moisture to safe storage level, immediately after harvest. Untreated and osmotically dehydrated berries were subjected to convection (control), microwave and microwave-convection combination drying conditions at different product drying temperatures (60, 70 and 80C) until final moisture content was 25% dry basis. A laboratory-scale microwave combination dryer was developed, built with temperature and moisture loss data acquisition systems using LabView 6i software. Thin-layer cross flow dryer was used for convection-only drying and for comparison. <p>Drying kinetics of the drying processes were studied and curve fitting with five empirical equations including Page equation, was carried to determine drying constant, R2 and standard error values. The microwave-combination drying method proved to be the best for drying saskatoon berries. Dehydrated product quality analysis by means of color changes, rehydration ratio measurements and observed structural changes with scanning electron microscope technique were the factors in drying method selection for saskatoon berries.<p> This research was instrumental in the modification and development of a novel drying system for high-moisture agricultural materials. Microwave-convection combination drying at 70oC, yields good results with higher drying rates and better end-product quality.

Diploma thesis deals with the characterization of chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) and saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia) fruits. The theoretical part focuses on the botanical classification, chemical composition, curative effects and the use of chokeberry and saskatoon berry in the food industry. Further, the attention is also devoted to a review of methods for the determination of important antioxidants, specialized on the determination of polyphenols, anthocyanins, ascorbic acid and total antioxidant activity. The experimental part of the work deals with the determination of selected parameters in different varieties of chokeberry and serviceberry, harvested in 2012 and 2013 using spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques with an emphasis on effect of solvent (50% ethanol, destilled water, DMSO). Specifically total content of polyphenols and anthocyanins, color characteristics using the CIE L*a*b* system and the ability of the sample to reduce the iron are determined using the UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopy. Further ascorbic acid concentration in individual extracts is quantified by High performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array detector and the total antioxidant activity is characterized by electron paramagnetic resonance involving •DPPH and ABTS•+ assays.