<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Aims</strong>: The knowledge of parameters as the quantity of anthocyanins and tannins present during grape maturation, their evolution during the ripening period and extractability data could improve the management of red wine fermentation and help predict the color of wines.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods and results</strong>: Grapes from Vitis vinifera var. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Monastrell were harvested in 2002, 2003 and 2004 from a commercial vineyards and their physicochemical characteristics together with the anthocyanin and tannin evolution during ripening were followed. The results showed that differences were found in the evolution of these compounds due to variety and year.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusions</strong>: Some of the studied parameters seemed to be clearly related to variety (berry weight and extractability index) and others seemed to be clearly affected by soil and edaphoclimatic conditions. The high extractability index in Monastrell reflects the difficulty involved in extracting their anthocyanins. The short maturation period observed for Merlot grapes and the high seed tannin index could lead to excessively astringent wines.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Significance and impact of the study</strong>: This study demonstrate that the ripening period of some varieties (Merlot) in very warm conditions is too short, promoting the rapid accumulation of sugar in the pulp and an incomplete seed maturation that may lead to excessively astringent wines. Other varieties, e.g. Monastrell, show longer maturation period that usually permits pulp and seed maturity to be reached at the moment of harvest. The extractability index seems to be closely related to the grape variety and this is also an important fact to take into account when planning a vinification process.</p>
The coffee berry borer (CBB) (Hypothenemus hampei: Ferrar) was first detected in Puerto Rico in 2007. Its distribution since then has been extensive, but not extensively documented. An island-wide survey was carried out from August to November 2014 (the coffee production season) to assess CBB distribution, infestation, and population per fruit. The CBB was well-established throughout the coffee-growing area of Puerto Rico, but was not evenly distributed. Infestation (or percentages of fruits perforated) in sites sampled ranged from 0 to 95%, and CBB number per infested fruit varied from 1 to 34 individuals. CBB infestation and total population per fruit were positively correlated with altitude. Highest infestation and total population were observed in sites located >400 masl; most of the coffee-producing area in Puerto Rico is above this altitude. Coffea arabica (L.) had higher CBB infestation and population per fruit than Coffea canephora (Pierre ex A. Froehner) (robusta coffee). Based on these results, management tools should be implemented to mitigate the severe damage that CBB is causing in Puerto Rico. These management tools should include the removal of all fruits that remain on the plants after harvest and the use of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balls.) Vuill. for biocontrol, especially on coffee farms at higher elevations.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.