RESUMEN
Myrtus communis is a Mediterranean shrub cultivated in Israel for traditional, ceremonial use only, with more than 98 % of the crop biomass, equivalent to 26-27 tons per ha per annum, considered agricultural waste. Therefore, potentially profitable use for this excess is being highly sought. As Myrtus is also known for its unique terpene and terpenoid content, this work evaluated the impact of essential oil (EO) extracted from several M. communis cultivars on storage insects, nematodes, fungi, and pathogens. In addition, the allelopathic effect of M. communis litter on the germination success of wheat seeds was evaluated. The EO extracts demonstrated an insecticidal effect on several storage insects in fumigation experiment and a potentially inhibiting effect on wheat development in allelopathy experiments. No significant impact of M. communis EOs on the examined fungi, pathogens, and nematodes was recorded. Additional uses of the M. communis biomass suggest supplying additional income to the farmer through the circular agriculture approach. In addition, the use of this local crop can contribute to sustainable intensification by increasing farming efficiency, providing nature-based substitutes for chemical pesticides, and possibly, improving the future design of agriculture through the integration of Myrtus in monoculture crops.
RESUMEN
Phenotypic characterization of postharvest traits is essential for the breeding of high-quality fruits. To compare postharvest traits of different genetic lines, it is essential to use a reference point during fruit development that will be common to all the lines. In this study, we employed a non-destructive parameter of chlorophyll levels to establish a similar physiological age and compared several postharvest traits of ten astringent and seven non-astringent persimmon cultivars. The fruit's traits examined were astringency, weight, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), chlorophyll levels (I AD ), color (hue), firmness, color development and firmness loss during storage, crack development, and susceptibility to Alternaria infection. Although the chlorophyll (I AD ) index and color (hue) showed a high correlation among mature fruits of all cultivars, the chlorophyll parameter could detect higher variability in each cultivar, suggesting that I AD is a more rigorous parameter for detecting the developmental stage. The average weight, TSS, and TA were similar between astringent and non-astringent cultivars. Cracks appeared only on a few cultivars at harvest. Resistance to Alternaria infection and firmness were lower in astringent than in non-astringent cultivars. Only the astringent cultivar "32" was resistant to infection possibly due to the existence of an efficient peel barrier. It was concluded that a high correlation existed between astringency, susceptibility to Alternaria infection, and firmness. Cracks did not correlate with astringency or firmness. The phenotypic traits evaluated in this work can be used in future breeding programs for elite persimmon fruits.