The ‘Arrayana’ mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) is considered the variety most widely grown in Colombia. Despite being a non-climacteric fruit, it has a short postharvest life. In order to evaluate the effects of thermal treatments on the chilling injury and shelf life time of this cultivar, ripe fruits were selected and submitted to the following treatments: non-treated fruit (control); hot water at 50 ºC for 5 min; hot water at 53 ºC for 3 min; intermittent warming in 8-day cycles at 2 ºC + 1 day at 18 ºC; and intermittent warming in 12-day cycles at 2 ºC + 1 day at 18 ºC. The fruits were stored at 2 ºC for 40 days and then left for one week at room temperature. The thermal treatments decreased the chilling injury in the mandarin fruits during the shelf life time, with the intermittent warming treatments being the most favourable ones (mainly in cycles of 12 days at 2 ºC + 1 day at 18 ºC), because, besides decreasing the chilling injuries and electrolytes leakage, they promoted a higher carotenoid biosynthesis and epidermis colouring, without negative effects on the fruit internal quality.

This study explores how hydroalcoholic extracts of Campomanesia lineatifolia R. and P. seeds affect the germination and viability of seeds from two weeds, Rumex crispus and Amaranthus hybridus. The phenolic compounds were initially characterized using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography. In seeds sown in Petri dishes, four concentrations of hydroalcoholic extracts (0%, 3%, 6%, and 9% w/v) were used for single and continuous applications. The mean germination speed, mean germination time, germination percentage, and seed viability were evaluated. Epigallocatechin gallate, quercetin-3-glucoside, epicatechin gallate, ursolic acid, epigallocatechin, and trans-cinnamic acid were the main compounds discovered in that order. Notably, while the germination percentages of both species were reduced with a single application (38.5% for R. crispus and 52% for A. hybridus), they were reduced by 76.2% and 58.34% with a continuous application, respectively. A delay in germination was also observed, which produced changes in germination speed throughout the experiment. With a 9% application, the number of nonviable seeds of R. crispus increased by 40.53%, whereas in A. hybridus, viability decreased by at least 70.8%. Overall, the phenolic compounds in C. lineatifolia extract are thought to inhibit the germination process of the evaluated species.