Tree thinning affects the physicochemical characteristics and bioactive compounds in ‘Barton’ and ‘Melhorada’ pecan cultivars

The production and consumption of pecan nuts have been on the rise in recent times, which renders it necessary to study the best production practices to increase the yield, enhance the flavor, and maintain the bioactive components in the final product. The present study, therefore, aimed to verify the effects of tree thinning on the physicochemical characteristics and bioactive components in pecan under the cultivation conditions of Santa Rosa, Rio Grande do Sul. The pecan plants were submitted to two types of management - with thinning and without thinning, following which the fruits were evaluated for physical (size, weight, and color) and chemical (physicochemical composition, oxidative stability, fatty acid profile, and tocopherols) attributes. The results revealed that the thinning of plants increased the size and mass of both nuts and kernels while reducing the acid content and peroxides in the kernels and increasing the γ-tocopherol levels. The other quality evaluations did not reveal any significant alterations after plant thinning.

Index terms:
Carya illinoinensis; luminosity; post-harvest quality; bioactive compounds.

Authorship

Jessica Fernanda Hoffmann

Conceptual idea

Methodology design

Writing and editing

Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos/Unisinos, Instituto Tecnológico em Alimentos para a Saúde, São Leopoldo, RS, BrasilUniversidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos/UnisinosBrazilSão Leopoldo, RS, BrazilUniversidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos/Unisinos, Instituto Tecnológico em Alimentos para a Saúde, São Leopoldo, RS, Brasil

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9185-3820

Rosane Lopes Crizel ^*Corresponding author: rosanecrizel@gmail.com

Writing and editing

Universidade Federal de Pelotas/ UFPel, Departamento de Ciência e Tecnologia Agroindustrial, Pelotas, RS, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Pelotas/ UFPelBrazilPelotas, RS, BrazilUniversidade Federal de Pelotas/ UFPel, Departamento de Ciência e Tecnologia Agroindustrial, Pelotas, RS, Brasil

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7736-5820

Tatiane Jéssica Siebeneichler

Writing and editing

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5340-3415

Stefany Cristina Foscarini

Data analysis and interpretation

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3864-1391

Tamires de Oliveira Duarte da Silva

Data analysis and interpretation

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0900-0018

Cristiano Dietrich Ferreira

Writing and editing

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8852-2414

Ivan Ricardo Carvalho

Methodology design

Universidade Regional do Noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul, Íjui, RS, BrasilUniversidade Regional do Noroeste do Rio Grande do SulBrazilÍjui, RS, BrazilUniversidade Regional do Noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul, Íjui, RS, Brasil

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7947-4900

Cristiano Geremias Hellwig

Data collection

Universidade Federal de Pelotas/UFPel, Departamento de Fitotecnia, Pelotas, RS, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Pelotas/UFPelBrazilPelotas, RS, BrazilUniversidade Federal de Pelotas/UFPel, Departamento de Fitotecnia, Pelotas, RS, Brasil

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6574-8285

Carlos Roberto Martins

Conceptual idea

Embrapa Clima Temperado, Estação Experimental Cascata, Pelotas, RS, BrasilEmbrapa Clima TemperadoBrazilPelotas, RS, BrazilEmbrapa Clima Temperado, Estação Experimental Cascata, Pelotas, RS, Brasil

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8833-1629

Corresponding author: rosanecrizel@gmail.com

Editor de seção:

Renato Paiva

SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Figures | Tables

Figures (2)
Tables (5)

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Figure 1:
The average values of the minimum and maximum monthly temperatures and monthly rainfall in Santa Rosa, RS, Brazil, during the 2020/2021 cycle. Source: The data issued by the Agritempo - Sistema de Monitoramento Agrometeorológico.

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Figure 2:
Photographs of pecan kernels from the 2020/2021 Pecan harvest with and without tree thinning. (A) ‘Barton’ cultivar with thinning. (B) ‘Barton’ cultivar without thinning. (C) ‘Melhorada’ cultivar with thinning. (D) ‘Melhorada’ cultivar without thinning.

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Table 1:
Fruit and kernel mass, shell mass, kernel yield, length, and diameter with and without tree thinning during the 2020/2021 harvest.

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Table 2:
The color parameter values for the 2020/2021 Pecan harvest with and without tree thinning.

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Table 3:
Physicochemical composition of pecans from the 2020/2021 Pecan harvest with and without tree thinning.

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Table 4:
Acid level (mg KOH/g), peroxide content (meq O₂/kg), and extinction coefficient (K₂₃₂ and K₂₇₀) of the pecans from the 2020/2021 Pecan harvest with and without tree thinning.

Thumbnail

Table 5:
The fatty acids profile (%) and tocopherol content (mg/100 g) of the pecans from the 2020/2021 Pecan harvest with and without tree thinning.

Figure 1: The average values of the minimum and maximum monthly temperatures and monthly rainfall in Santa Rosa, RS, Brazil, during the 2020/2021 cycle. Source: The data issued by the Agritempo - Sistema de Monitoramento Agrometeorológico.

Figure 2: Photographs of pecan kernels from the 2020/2021 Pecan harvest with and without tree thinning. (A) ‘Barton’ cultivar with thinning. (B) ‘Barton’ cultivar without thinning. (C) ‘Melhorada’ cultivar with thinning. (D) ‘Melhorada’ cultivar without thinning.

Table 1: Fruit and kernel mass, shell mass, kernel yield, length, and diameter with and without tree thinning during the 2020/2021 harvest.

Cultivar	Thinning	Fruit mass (g)	Kernel mass (g)	Shell mass (g)	Kernel yield (%)
Barton	With	7.81 ± 0.31 *	4.23 ± 0.23 *	3.57 ± 0.18*	53.91 ± 1.86*
Barton	Without	6.48 ± 0.23	3.39 ± 0.20	3.09 ± 0.10	51.39 ± 1.86
Melhorada	With	9.96 ± 0.25*	5.28 ± 0.16 *	4.67 ± 0.15 *	52.42 ± 1.04*
Melhorada	Without	8.55 ± 0.26	4.65 ± 0.18	3.91 ± 0.10	53.97 ± 0.82
Cultivar	Thinning	Fruit length (mm)	Fruit diameter (mm)	Kernel length (mm)	Kernel diameter (mm)
Barton	With	38.62 ± 0.45*	24.61 ± 0.39*	24.86 ± 0.34*	19.91 ± 0.47*
Barton	Without	37.74 ± 0.75	23.74 ± 0.28	20.61 ± 0.49	18.52 ± 0.34
Melhorada	With	45.78 ± 1.02*	25.02 ± 0.28*	36.46 ± 0.40*	21.26 ± 0.22*
Melhorada	Without	43.88 ± 0.79	24.02 ± 0.44	34.46 ± 0.30	20.71 ± 0.22

Values presented are mean ±standard deviation (n = 25). * Significant by t-test. ns = not significant by the t-test, comparing thinning in the same cultivar (P < 0.05).

Table 2: The color parameter values for the 2020/2021 Pecan harvest with and without tree thinning.

Cultivar	Thinning	Luminosity	a*	b*	Chroma	°Hue
Barton	With	47.1 ± 2.2^ns	6.9 ± 1.1^ns	6.9 ± 1.1^ns	13.1 ± 2.6^ns	58.0 ± 2.2^ns
Barton	Without	46.6 ± 2.3	6.4 ± 1.7	10.6 ± 3.1	12.4 ± 3.3	58.4 ± 4.8
Melhorada	With	46.7 ± 2.3^ns	6.8 ± 0.9^ns	10.4 ± 2.2^ns	12.4 ± 2.3^ns	56.5 ± 3.4^ns
Melhorada	Without	45.6 ± 1.1	6.9 ± 0.8	9.2 ± 1.1	11.5 ± 1.2	53.3 ± 2.3

Values presented are mean ±standard deviation (n = 10). * Significant by t-test. ns = not significant by the t-test, comparing thinning in the same cultivar (P < 0.05).

Table 3: Physicochemical composition of pecans from the 2020/2021 Pecan harvest with and without tree thinning.

Cultivar	Thinning	Water content (%)	Ash content (%)	Protein content (%)	Lipid content (%)	Carbohydrate content (%)
Barton	With	5.80 ± 0.10 *	1.49 ± 0.09^ns	7.17 ± 0.11^ns	60.69 ± 0.01ns	24.86 ± 0.10*
Barton	Without	6.85 ± 0.02	1.68 ± 0.03	7.35 ± 0.41	61.67 ± 1.13	20.61 ± 0.60
Melhorada	With	6.12 ± 0.11^ns	1.50 ± 0.05^ns	7.28 ± 0.08^ns	64.91 ± 2.12^ns	20.17 ± 1.38*
Melhorada	Without	6.13 ± 0.10	1.59 ± 0.04	7.73 ± 0.24	60.39 ± 3.35	24.16 ± 2.27

Values presented are mean ±standard deviation (n = 10). * Significant by t-test. ns = not significant by the t-test, comparing thinning in the same cultivar (P < 0.05).

Table 4: Acid level (mg KOH/g), peroxide content (meq O₂/kg), and extinction coefficient (K₂₃₂ and K₂₇₀) of the pecans from the 2020/2021 Pecan harvest with and without tree thinning.

Cultivar	Thinning	Acid value (mg KOH/g)	Peroxide index (meq/kg)	K₂₃₂	K₂₇₀
Barton	With	0.73 ± 0.04*	4.16 ± 0.20 ^ns	0.01 ± 0.00^ns	0.02 ± 0.01 ^ns
Barton	Without	0.84 ± 0.02	4.23 ± 0.18	0.01 ± 0.01	0.02 ± 0.01
Melhorada	With	0.80 ± 0.05*	2.60 ± 0.20*	0.01 ± 0.00 ^ns	0.01 ± 0.00 ^ns
Melhorada	Without	0.87 ± 0.01	8.15 ± 0.20	0.02 ± 0.00	0.02 ± 0.00

Values presented are mean ±standard deviation (n = 10). * Significant by t-test. ns = not significant by the t-test, comparing thinning in the same cultivar (P < 0.05).

Table 5: The fatty acids profile (%) and tocopherol content (mg/100 g) of the pecans from the 2020/2021 Pecan harvest with and without tree thinning.

Cultivar	Thinning	Fatty acid (%)
Cultivar	Thinning	Myristic Acid (C14:0)	Palmitic acid (C16:0)	Stearic acid (C18:0)	Arachidic acid (C20:0)	Oleic acid (C18:1)	Eicosenoic acid (C20:1)	Linoleic acid (C18:2)
Barton	With	0.08 ± 0.01	9.63 ± 0.21	4.15 ± 0.14	0.17 ± 0.02	45.3 ± 30.06	0.36 ± 0.06	37.83 ± 0.34
Barton	Without	0.07 ± 0.01	9.62 ± 0.20	4.12 ± 0.13	0.17 ± 0.01	45.30 ± 0.12	0.34 ± 0.03	37.77 ± 0.34
Melhorada	With	0.09 ± 0.00	9.97 ± 0.12	5.09 ± 0.13	0.16 ± 0.02	42.33 ± 0.33	0.26 ± 0.01	39.32 ± 0.09
Melhorada	Without	0.08 ± 0.01	9.93 ± 0.12	5.02 ± 0.15	0.19 ± 0.01	42.27 ± 0.35	0.27 ± 0.03	39.29 ± 0.07
Cultivar	Thinning	Fatty acids (%)				Tocopherol (mg/100 g)
Cultivar	Thinning	Linolenic acid (C18:3)	Sum of saturated acids	Sum of monounsaturated acids	Sum of polyunsaturated acids	α-tocoferol	δ -tocoferol	39.29 ± 0.07	γ -tocoferol
Barton	With	2.57 ± 0.06	14.03 ± 0.34	45.67 ± 0.11	40.40 ± 0.29	3.45 ± 0.07^ns	3.35 ± 0.01^ns	36.30 ± 0.36*
Barton	Without	2.61 ± 0.08	13.98 ± 0.35	45.64 ± 0.09	40.38 ± 0.26	3.45 ± 0.07	3.30 ± 0.00	32.63 ± 0.51
Melhorada	With	2.94 ± 0.10	15.31 ± 0.23	42.59 ± 0.33	42.26 ± 0.00	3.05 ± 0.00 ^*	3.50 ± 0.00 ^*	37.99 ± 0.10*
Melhorada	Without	2.95 ± 0.12	15.22 ± 0.27	42.53 ± 0.32	42.24 ± 0.05	3.44 ± 0.00	3.38 ± 0.01	32.20 ± 1.82

Values presented are mean ±standard deviation (n = 10). * Significant by t-test. ns = not significant by the t-test, comparing thinning in the same cultivar (P < 0.05).

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Tree thinning affects the physicochemical characteristics and bioactive compounds in ‘Barton’ and ‘Melhorada’ pecan cultivars

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[1] Corresponding author: rosanecrizel@gmail.com