Flower Thinning Improves Fruit Quality and Oil Composition in Camellia oleifera Abel

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Manuscript Number: horticulturae-1999616, titled:

Flower thinning improves fruit quality and oil composition in Camellia oleifera

Review 1 – 22 October 2022

Dear Editor of Horticulturae

the argument is interesting but it has to be improved in some section. The introduction section has to be better argued. The discussion section has to be extended with regards the fatty acid composition, also the properties of C. oleifera and human health have to be discussed. Inaccuracies in the text.

I suggest a major revision

To the Authors (in detail):

1)    the argument is interesting but it has to be improved in some section. The introduction section has to be better argued. The discussion section has to be extended with regards the fatty acid composition, also the properties of C. oleifera and human health have to be discussed. Inaccuracies in the text.

2)    In the title and at the first mention in the text, re-arrange and include the botanist’s abbreviation;

3)    Page 1, line 33, you discuss about tea oil, but you do not explain why. Is this oil used for tea or what? Please, explain well for an International reader;

4)    PAGE 1, LINE 44, insert one space before … Moreover;

5)    PAGE 1, LINE 45, insert one space before … Thus;

6)    Page 2, line 68, insert one space before … This;

 7)    Sub-section 2.1, line 77, insert one space before… All;

8)    Sub-section 2.1: detail if plants are wild or cultivated. If cultivated, include fertilizers used (type, quantity and period), irrigation, pest treatments, pruning and so on.

9)    Sub-section 2.1: line 76, verify the symbol °C;

10)  Line 74, and … twice: delete one;

11) Line 83, delete one space before .. Each;

12) Line 101, delete one space before… To;

13) Line 120, verify spacing and punctuation before… The standard;

14) Line 137, verify spacing between words, in addition, here and in the whole manuscript, tables and figures: kg in small letters;

15) Line 164 (P < 0.05); line 183 (P<0.05), lines 189, 218, 307 the spacing after the first bracket and before the second bracket: when you write the significance use always the same criterion for spacing and be consistent for text, tables and figures;

16) Line 196, verify spacing before the bracket;

17) Line 253, verify spacing;

18) Line 321, verify spacing before… different;

19) Table 3, head of column: plamt?

20) Figure 3B, B is too faint, verify all figures;

21) Figure 3C, y axis: the color of oil content is too faint;

22) Figure 3C, y axis verify the spacing inside brackets;

23) Figure 4 f, y axis, oleic acid %, standardize the size type with other figures;

24) Line 345, insert one space before the first bracket:

25) Discussion section. You have presented C. oleifera oil as an edible oil. Please, compare the fatty acid composition (mainly palmitic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids) with the fatty acid composition of other seed oil such as: tomato [X1], sesamum [X2], peanut [X3] and sunflower [X3]. Do not cumulate the references number at the end of the sentence but write it after each type of oil. Please, find, read and discuss the following studies:

[X1] Physicochemical composition of tomato seed oil for an edible use: the effect of cultivar.

Int. Food Res. J. 23(2): 583-591 (2016).

[X2] Agronomic performance and grain quality of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) landraces and improved varieties grown in a Mediterranean environment.

Genet. Resour. Crop Evol. 64, (1) 127-137 (2017).

DOI 10.1007/s10722-015-0338-z

[X3] Evaluating the Yield, Fatty Acid Composition, and the Seed Micronutrients Content in Peanut Cultivars under the Influence of Various Rates of Sulfur and Zinc Application.

Journal of Nuts, 13, 183 – 197 (2022).

DOI: 10.22034/jon.2022.1955111.1160

[X4] Fatty Acid Composition of Sunflower in 31 Inbreed and 28 Hybrid.

Biomed J Sci & Tech Res 16(3)-2019. BJSTR.MS.ID.002851.

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2019.16.002851

26) Discussion section. Discuss about the Camellia oleifera oil and the human health and support your statements with proper references;

27) Conclusions section, please, extend and describe the practical industrial application of your findings;

28) Reference 49 and in the whole manuscript: the scientific names have to be italicized;

29) Reference 49 and in the whole manuscript: the species in small letters: indica and not Indica. Verify also ref47 and the whole section;

30) Ref 7 and in the whole section, after the last page of the paper, replace comma with a dot;

31) Ref 29 and in the whole section, verify the spacing between authors’ names;

32) Please, write in blue color or evidence differently the corrections you will do.

I suggest a major revision

Regards.

Author Response

Please see the attachment, thanks!

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

A woody oil tree with overlapping flower bud development and fruit maturity is called Camellia oleifera. Therefore, mechanical fruit harvesting results in the abscission of flowers. The current study examined how the quantity of flowers per tree affected C. oleifera fruit development, yield, nutrient accumulation, and fatty acid content. These findings imply that the efficiency of fruit production in C. oleifera won't be impacted by the abscission of a few flowers during mechanical harvesting.

Below, I leave the authors a series of comments to improve their manuscript. Especially emphasize the improvement and quality of the images.

Title: Camellia oleifera --> Camellia oleifera C.Abel

Authors' names: put correctly since, with commas and before the last author, and

Line 14: delete i

Line 15: n --> in ; Here --> Here,

Line 20: didn't --> did not

Line 22: put the meaning of DAFB

Line 27-28: alphabetical order

Line 33: 40%-50% --> 40-50% 

Line 45: Thus,mechanical --> Thus, mechanical

Line 74: (116 ° 51 ′ 38 ″ E, 29 ° 23 ′ 39 ″ N) --> (116° 51′ 38″ E, 29° 23′ 39″ N)

Line 120-121: change the font size. Follow the instructions of the journal.

Line 174-175 (table 1): Add at the bottom of the table the meaning of DAFB.

Line 186-189 (Figure 1): improve the quality of the images. The letters and symbols of each state are not visible.

Line 214-218 (Figure 2): Enlarge Figure 2a to better appreciate the differences. With respect to Figures 2b and 2c, enhance as in Figure 1.

Line 245-248 (Figure 3): improve the quality. Colors, lettering,... are not appreciated.

Line 261-262 (Table 2): center the table values.

Line 304-307: improve the quality of the figures

Author Response

Please see the attachment, thanks!

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Manuscript Number: horticulturae-1999616, titled:

Flower thinning improves fruit quality and oil composition in Camellia oleifera

Review 2 – 8 November 2022

Dear Editor of Horticulturae

the Authors have included all my comments. I suggest to publish this manuscript in the present form.

Regards.

Reviewer 2 Report

The authors have done an excellent job!