Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Canterbury, 2006. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-97). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M. Sc.) -- Lincoln University, 2008. / Also available via the World Wide Web.

Quantify the magnitude, sources and distribution of variation in fruit quality traits within kiwifruit populations and identify opportunities for the management of this variation. Near-infrared (NIR) grading was used as a tool for monitoring fruit quality, and measurements combined with orchard/vine information to investigate opportunities for the management of the variation in fruit quality traits with a particular focus on fruit DM. NIR enabled non-destructive assessment of the quality characteristics of individual fruit from 96 commercial orchards, comprising 550 fruit-lines, across four consecutive seasons, resulting in a dataset of measurements made on 146.7 million individual fruit. The distribution of quality traits within fruit populations and the relationships between quality traits were examined. The spatial component of variation in fruit quality was investigated to assess the potential for zonal management practices. Finally, the effects of growth temperatures on fruit quality were studied. Significant variation in fruit quality was observed between-seasons, between-orchards, and between-vines within an orchard. From comparison of CVs between quality traits, cropload was more variable than fruit weight which varied more than fruit DM, independent of the production scale considered (between-orchard or between-vine). Across a hierarchy of fruit populations (individual vine, fruit-line and orchard), the majority of fruit quality distributions demonstrated significant deviations from normality. However, departures from normality can be tolerated for estimation of the proportion of fruit with specific quality criteria. The sources of variation in fruit weight and DM populations were investigated at both a between-orchard scale and a within-orchard scale. Between-orchard variation was significant, however, the majority of variation occurred within-fruitlines, within-orchards and within seasons. The within-fruitline component of variation was investigated separately. Both between-vine and within-vine variation were significant, but within-vine variation was dominant. The focus of management should be on reducing variation occurring within-fruitlines within-orchards, which is largely attributable to variation occurring within the individual vine. Higher croploads per vine have negative consequences for fruit weight but variable effects on DM. Increasing croploads reduce both FW and DW allocations for each fruit, therefore the effect of cropload on DM is dependent on the relative reductions in FW and DW. The DW allocations to fruit are not limited by DW production, at least up to the croploads observed in this study (≤65 fruit m-2). The potential for zonal management was investigated. Variation in fruit quality characteristics between-orchards across the Te Puke growing region, and between-vines within an individual orchard area were investigated using geostatistics. A spatial component to variation was identified both between-orchard and between-vine. However, the effect of spatial variation was diluted by that of non-spatial variation and therefore, zonation between orchards or between areas within-orchards should not be where the effort in managing variation is concentrated. Orchard altitude correlated with some aspects of fruit quality. Mean fruit weight declined 0.5g and within-orchard variation in fruit weight declined 0.25 units with a 25m increase in orchard altitude. Mean fruit DM was independent of orchard altitude and within-orchard variability in DM declined 0.023 units per 25m increase in orchard altitude. Differences in orchard altitude equated with differences in growth temperatures. Warm spring and cool summer temperatures favour the growth of high DM fruit. The effects of spring temperatures on canopy development and maturation were investigated to elucidate potential physiological mechanisms for temperatures effects on fruit growth. Higher spring growth temperatures increased the rate of total leaf area development and promoted development of leaf photosynthesis. Higher spring growth temperatures favoured a more positive carbon balance, which has beneficial effects on the development of fruit quality characteristics. Post-harvest, the traditional practice of grading fruit into count sizes generally also segregates for DM, and large count size fruit will often have higher DM than small sized fruit. Between fruit populations, a positive correlation was identified between fruit DM and acidity; therefore, segregation of the inventory by DM will also segregate for acidity. High DM fruit are also more acidic with a higher, more favourable brix/acid ratio when ripe. It is recommended that fruit DM status be managed in the inventory, not by maturity area as is the current practice, but by groups of similar count sizes within maturity areas.

Whole fruits, grains and vegetables contain thousands of potential disease-fighting, healthpromoting nutrients. These foods play a critical role in bowel function, especially in the elderly. Strong epidemiological evidence has shown that greater amounts of crude dietary fibre are associated with a lesser prevalence of constipation and other gastrointestinal disorders. Constipation usually presents as a variety of symptoms, including reduced frequency of defaecation and impacted forms of stools and/or increased effort required to defaecate. Constipation is a problem that could affect any person at any time in his or her life, but in the elderly is more prevalent.Although anecdotal reports and dietary advice have suggested the use of kiwifruit as a laxative in humans, there are, at present no data available to support this. Kiwifruit is reported as the most nutrient-rich of the top 27 fruits eaten in the world today. The laxative property of kiwifruit could provide a natural remedy for constipation and would be cheaper than the laxatives on the market.Objective: The main objective of this study was to investigate if kiwifruit can act as a laxative, especially in elderly people.Study Design and Methods: This study was carried out in two stages, as a pilot and then a main study. In the pilot study, 71 participants (aged 18 - 50y) were divided into Group I and Group II. Group I made no changes to their normal diet for a six weeks period, while Group II were asked to add one kiwifruit for every 30kg body weight per day to their diet for a six week period. After the six weeks, the two experimental groups crossed over, maintaining the dietary regime followed by the other group for a further six weeks. So each subject was his or her own control. Daily recording of the frequency and characteristics of the stool were made by the participants in a diary. In the main study, 42 participants (aged 60 years and over) carried out the same dietary regime as the pilot study subjects. Elderly subjects of Group I made no changes to their diet, but was asked to record their daily frequency and characteristics of their stool for 3weeks. Group II subjects ate one kiwifruit for every 30kg body weight per day for a period of 3weeks. After the three weeks period, the two groups crossed over.Results: It was found from the pilot study that kiwifruit consumption was associated with significant softening of the stool (P<0.001); a significant increase in bulking of the stool (P=0.034) and the ease of bowel movement was improved (P<0.001). For the main study, kiwifruit consumption also showed softening of the stool (P<0.001) and the ease of bowel movement was improved (P<0.001), there was a slight but significant increase in bowel frequency (P=0.012) and the bulking of stool (P=0.002).Conclusion: The results from this study provide evidence that consumption of kiwifruit enhances laxation and that bowel function can be improved through changes in diet, both for younger and elderly people.

Thesis (MAppSc--Applied Science)--Auckland University of Technology, 2003. / Also held in print (100 leaves, 30 cm.) in Wellesley Theses Collection. (T 613.28 PAT).

The importance of European honey bees in improving fruit set, yield and fruit weight of kiwifruit on the central east coast of Australia was investigated. Field investigations were carried out using different bee saturations and different types of male pollen parents. These investigations confirmed the importance of honey bees in kiwifruit fruit set, yield and fruit weight. However, the results suggested that increasing bee activity alone may not increase pollination of kiwifruit by honey bees. Many factors need to be understood before introducing bees into the orchard. Bees were more effective during the early part of the flowering period, and bee activity varied according to the sex of the vine, planting design and the time of day. The type of male pollen parents also influenced fruit size and quality. Flowers pollinated by different pollen parents were assessed for pollen tube growth and histochemical changes. The resulting fruit were also examined for weight and seed numbers. Honey bees play the major role in the size and yield of kiwifruit, but the design of male vines, their age and type of male pollen may also contribute. The kiwifruit pistil also possesses important features that can be considered as adaptations to insect pollination. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

New Zealand is currently the third largest global producer of kiwifruit and thus plays an important role in the international market. Exports of kiwifruit are also of significant horticultural value for New Zealand and in 2007 the kiwifruit industry accounted for export values of NZ$790 million. The global kiwifruit market has experienced substantial changes in recent years and is likely to change significantly in the near future due to developments in production sources, adjustments to trade policy settings and shifts in consumer preferences. The New Zealand kiwifruit industry needs to consider what the impacts of these changes might be so that future strategies can be constructed effectively. Little quantitative modelling has been done in New Zealand to consider the impacts of changes to the global kiwifruit industry. The major contribution of this research was the development and calibration of a kiwifruit industry-specific partial equilibrium trade model. The model was then used to examine the impacts on New Zealand producers of these trade-related changes in the global kiwifruit market. Three relevant scenarios were developed for this purpose. They include a drop in EU demand through the introduction of a stricter Sanitary and Phytosanitary policy, an expansion of the Chinese kiwifruit industry where production is doubled by year 2013 and finally a trade liberalisation scenario where current import tariffs on kiwifruit were removed worldwide. It is clearly observed, through both the Chinese expansion scenario and the trade liberalisation scenario, what a potential impact and future role China has as a world market player. Increased availability of Chinese kiwifruit appears to affect New Zealand producer returns and exported quantities negatively, albeit not as significantly as the EU introduction of an SPS policy. A trade liberalisation scenario, on the other hand, proves to increase New Zealand grower returns significantly for all varieties.

Repeat purchase of kiwifruit is primarily driven by consumer judgement of internal fruit quality attributes, including those affected by dry matter concentration (DMC) and mineral composition in fruit. This research investigated mechanisms affecting carbohydrate, mineral and water accumulation in 'Hayward' kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa), and related these to specific management practices. Canopy manipulation through pruning and treatments such as artificial pollination, defoliation, girdling, thinning and application of the auxin transport inhibitor TIBA, may affect fruit DMC and mineral composition. Leaf photosynthesis and fruit dry matter concentrations (DMC) started to decline as leaf area index values increased above 3-4. In addition to reducing competition for carbohydrates between vegetative and reproductive growth, leader pruning probably increased DMCs of fruit in the leader zone by improving light interception. Photosynthesis was not affected by crop loads between 20- 60 fruit m-2, but was consistently higher on non-terminating (long) shoots than on terminating (short) shoots, as were fruit DMCs. Differences in photosynthetic rate of leaves on these two shoot types were attributed to differences in shoot exposure to the sun, and also to the greater demand for carbohydrate within long shoots. Leaves subtending fruit may increase Ca, and to a lesser extent Mg, flow into fruit, however their accumulation was not affected by leaves outside the fruiting shoot. Xylem sap Ca and Mg concentrations were higher in shoots with a high rather than a low leaf: fruit (L:F) ratio and this may, at least partially, relate to the increase in shoot transpiration that occurs as shoot L:F ratios increase. Within vine variation in fruit Ca concentrations may reflect variations in xylem sap flow rates and Ca concentrations of xylem sap reaching fruit. Calcium translocation may occur independently of ion movement in the transpiration stream. Timing and extent of vascular differentiation in flower and fruitlet pedicels, possibly regulated by auxin, may influence fruit Ca accumulation. It is likely that early differentiation of vascular tissue in flower and fruitlet pedicels influenced cell division and subsequent (carbohydrate) sink strength of fruit by determining availability of carbohydrate for partitioning into cell walls. While growers have the potential to induce minor changes in fruit DMC, further increases will depend on the separation of carbohydrate and water accumulation. Further research is required to elucidate the mechanisms regulating phloem transport and unloading of sucrose in kiwifruit.

Orientador: Hilary Castle de Menezes / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-04T04:09:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Buchweitz_PauloRenato_D.pdf: 3265983 bytes, checksum: 57291d57e5ec02775a2fcdf1204dd61a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / Resumo: Em algumas regiões do Brasil a cultura do kiwi encontrou bom potencial para o seu desenvolvimento. A cultivar Hayward destaca-se pela produção de frutos com elevada qualidade no sabor, tamanho, conservação e valor nutricional. Até o momento a maioria das pesquisas pós-colheita esteve voltada a conservação pelo frio, em virtude da elevada susceptibilidade deste fruto a alterações físico-químicas e sensoriais decorrentes dos métodos convencionais de conservação. Este trabalho procurou avaliar os efeitos da pré-secagem osmótica em parâmetros de qualidade de fatias de kiwi secas, congeladas, liofilizadas e pasteurizadas. Os frutos para a execução dos experimentos foram adquiridos diretamente de pomar comercial localizado em Campos do Jordão-SP. Inicialmente foi realizada uma avaliação da pré-secagem osmótica de fatias de kiwi de 10-11mm de espessura sob condições de processo pré-estabelecidas: imersas em solução de sacarose a 65% a 40°C por 15, 60, 120, 180 e 240 minutos com agitação em shaker a 75 oscilações horizontais e amplitude de 1cm, utilizando fruta em solução de sacarose na proporção de 1:4. Os produtos obtidos foram avaliados sensorialmente e verificou-se que a condição correspondente a duas horas de processo foi a melhor aceita, sendo este resultado posteriormente considerado no estudo dos métodos convencionais. Na secagem com circulação forçada de ar aquecido a 40°C até 25% de umidade residual a pré-secagem osmótica proporcionou em média uma redução de 10% no tempo necessário ao processo e melhor aparência, aroma característico e maior firmeza das fatias após a reconstituição com água e açúcar. No estudo do osmo-congelamento por meio da avaliação dos métodos de congelamento por ar estático, contato em placas ou imersão em nitrogênio líquido, foi constatado que a prévia desidratação osmótica exerceu maior influência do que os diferentes métodos de congelamento nos níveis estudados na redução do líquido exsudado e no aumento da firmeza após o descongelamento. O tratamento prévio também contribuiu para melhorar a aparência geral e intensificar a coloração esverdeada. Na avaliação dos efeitos dos referidos métodos de congelamento nos experimentos de osmo-liofilização foi observado que o tratamento prévio em solução de sacarose não promoveu redução no tempo necessário à liofilização. No entanto, proporcionou melhora na textura e coloração das fatias, enquanto que a quantidade de água reincorporada às fatias foi mais influenciada pelos métodos de congelamento. Os produtos em calda processados com fatias submetidas a pré-secagem osmótica apresentaram aceitação sensorial similar quanto ao aroma e sabor e aceitação melhor quanto a aparência e textura durante o armazenamento, comparativamente aos produtos processados com fatias não submetidas ao tratamento prévio. O aproveitamento do xarope da pré-secagem osmótica como líquido de cobertura pode contribuir para a redução de custos no envase de fatias de kiwi em calda / Abstract: Mastitis is an inflammatory reaction of the mammary gland, caused by pathogenic bacteria, resulting in increased number of somatic cells of milk. Milks with high somatic cells count (SCC) present alterations in the composition, influencing, therefore, the quality of processed dairy products. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of milk SCC on the development of microorganisms and sensorial characteristics, during ripening of Prato cheese. Two groups of animals were selected to obtain milk with low (< 200.000 cell/ml) and high (> 700.000 cell/ml) SCC. Centesimal composition of cheeses was evaluated after processing and after 6, 12, 19, 35 e 54 days of storage for lactic bacteria, psychrotrophs, total bacteria count, yeasts and moulds counts. A factorial arrangment of treatments 2 x 5 in a completely randomized blocks was used. The effect of SCC (2 levels of variation) and storage time (5 levels of variation) on studied variables was evaluated by ANOVA and Tukey?s test at 5% of significance. The cheeses sensory evaluation was carried out through firmness, flavor and of lavors using ideal scale of nine points and general acceptance was evaluated by hedonic scale of nine points. The sensory evaluations were carried out after 7, 21, 34, 48 and 61 days of storage. Milk with high SCC had higher pH than milk with low SCC. Cheeses obtained from high SCC milk showed higher moisture than cheeses with low SCC. SCC affected lactic bacteria and psychrotrophs counts, as higher levels were found in low SCC cheeses. Total count bacteria, lactic acid and psychrotrophs counts decreased during storage, while yeasts and moulds count increased, independently of milk SCC. The sensory evaluation showed lower general acceptance to high SCC cheeses when compared with low SCC cheeses / Doutorado / Tecnologia de Alimentos / Doutor em Tecnologia de Alimentos

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