Understanding in detail the mechanisms that cause “superficial pitting” in cherries, that significantly deteriorates the quality of fruit during its cold storage, is the goal of a Regular Fondecyt project awarded to the Agronomic and Food Sciences Faculty member, Professor Claudia Fuentealba.
The study seeks to identify the physiological and structural factors that determine resistance or susceptibility of various types of fruit, addressing key aspects such as cellular hydric balance, membrane stability and cellular wall integrity.
“It's a physiological disorder that manifests as a depression on the surface of the skin. The defect is formed as a fissure and is deeply depressed. This directly affects the quality of the cherry, since consumers look for fruit that is smooth, shiny, firm and ample. Therefore, the pitting negatively impacts the prices and perception of quality”, the researcher, who is also the director of The Agrofood Sciences Doctoral program at the PUCV, added.
The cultivation of cherries is currently most relevant to fruit exportation in our country, generating revenue over 3.5 thousand million dollars per year. However, superficial pitting represents one of the main quality problems, which affects up to 43% of the production. This damage is mainly originated by hits during handling, and it aggravates in cold storing conditions, especially considering that the greater part of the fruit is exported to faraway markets such as China.
“From a financial standpoint, the cherry is one of the most cultivated fruits in Chile. Almost 90% of the production is exported and chilean fruit has a seal associated to high quality: not only in nutritional terms, but also in its appearance, with big and flawless fruits. So, even though damage could seem less at the individual level, impact at large scale is significant”, Fuentealba emphasized.
The causes
Despite the economic impact of pitting on cherries, the causes of this phenomenon are still not fully understood, which has limited the development of effective solutions. Previous research performed by professor Fuentealba’s team has shown that there are varietal differences in resistance to the damage, associated to defense mechanisms such as a greater antioxidant activity and modifications in the composition of the cellular wall. This data suggests that the response to each variety to low temperatures is a determining factor.
In this sense, the PUCV scholar stated that “the challenge is to research the causes in greater depth. We know what causes it, and also that there are more resistant varieties and others that are more susceptible to this disorder”.
The methodology of the project considers the study of three varieties of cherry, widely cultivated in Chile, which would be subjected to different storage conditions and maturity states. For this, a multidiscipline approach will be used, which integrates physical measurements, advanced chemical analyses and molecular tools. Among the assessed parameters we can include firmness, color, chemical composition, internal cellular pressure and changes in structural components of the fruit.
It must be noted that the study is directly aligned with the objectives of the 2023-2029 Institutional Strategic Development Plan of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, especially in its emphasis in encouraging frontier research and strengthening knowledge generation, creation and innovation that makes an impact. The interdisciplinary nature of the study, together with its focus on solving specific problems of the agro exporting industry, contributes to place our university as a leader in the agri-food field, articulating advanced science with real productive needs.
By Cristián Croce
Strategic Communication Department
