Grafting and Shading—The Influence on Postharvest Tomato Quality

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

MS 'Grafting and shading - the influence on postharvest tomato quality' describe very interesting study regarding the interaction if grafting and shading on changes of tomato physical and chemical traits during 15 days of storage. Some significant effects were observed regarding all fruit tomato composition parameters except phenols. Some of the components were analyzed using UV-VIS Spectrophotometer (lycopene, ascorbic acid, total phenols), while sugars and organic acid were detected using HPLC. Using the PCA they pointed out that that the changes in tomato fruit traits during storage period are the main source of differentiation of tomato fruit quality ant that the storage diminishes the differences in quality achieved through convenient grafting and shading combinations. 

The results of this study are very interesting for farmers as well as for readers of this journal as data provide new knowledge about the effects of shading and grafting on tomato fruit characteristics changes during storage. Authors also pointed out some undesirable changes of tomato fruit traits that can occur during storage and were probably a consequences of observed treatments.

Author Response

Dear review 1

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Reviewer 2 Report

Manuscript is well written but has some spelling errors that should be checked.

Also, M&M section should clarify some used methods and describe it like it is usually done for that type of measurements as shown way can lead to comparison with different methods in literature and show huge difference in results measurement.

Regards,

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

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Reviewer 3 Report

Dear Editor!

I checked the mamuscript 'Grafting and Shading—the Influence on Postharvest  Tomato Quality'. Manuscript presents an interesting results regarding the application of net shades and grafting and their mutual effects on physico-chemical parameters of two tomato cultivars. Introductory part is focused in the paper, methodology is given in detail, while results and discussion needs some improvements. Authors should consider comments below, among others, when they are improving the manuscript.

English language is acceptable but there are some ackward sentences that must me corrected:

lines 207-209

lines 362-363

errors: 

line 315 irradiation

line 317 oppositely

Abstract

I suggest taht results regarding color changes might be added in abstract

line 22: storage had lower

Introduction

Lines 60-63 I suggest a more detailed aims of study

Materials and Methods

I suggest to state that experiment was an open field carried out in net tunnels in area ....

line 103: g instead of rpm

line 109: specify the concentration of metaphosphoric acid

Results and Discussion

line 203 Table 3: specify in table title below 400 N

line 211 Table 4: specify in table title units of elacticity (mm)

line 248 capture of Fig. 1. specify the unit for lycopene contents

line 334 Based on our 

line 340: to be statistically

line 377 acid content and their ratio

Principal component analyse: I suggest to deduce the most influential parameters according to PCA that allow clustering of traits (if possible)

Conclusion

According to my opinion concluision is too long, I suggest to shorten it.

Author Response

Dear review 3

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Author Response File: Author Response.doc