Key Determinants of the Physiological and Fruit Quality Traits in Sweet Cherries and Their Importance in a Breeding Programme
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Page 4 line 120 Figure 1 is not clear; it could be improved by indicating which stage corresponds to which date.
The section "2.3. Impact of environmental factors in agronomic, physiological and reproductive traits" lacks precision in the information, more rigorous information is required.
Page 4 line 155 to specify what is "too cold and too hot" temperature.
Page 5 line 163 "to apply water during the harvest period" how much water? Do you have the information? It is better to specify.
Page 5 line 164 What does "Water deficit at this stage" mean, please specify.
Page 5 line 190 in Figure 3, indicate what the numbers in the image mean.
Page 6 line 204 Specify what is considered "excess water from rain or irrigation", amount of water? Longer rainy period?
Page 6 line 214 "calcium in the cherry mesocarp or fruit flesh (mg per fruit)" specify a range or amount referred to in the studies.
Page 7 Line 225-226 "such as maturity (early or late), fruit size, fruit color, fruit firmness and taste" clarify the meaning of the terms, what does early or late mean? Which size? What color? Or refer to the text
Page 7 line 259 what are the "fruit quality indices"?
Throughout the text it is mentioned that "The timing of flowering and fruit maturity are important physiological traits" but, it should be specified, it refers to figure 1?
The conclusion is so general, the sentences do not specify the effects of environmental factors, for example, and the review of physiological variables related to fruit quality is not addressed.
The writing should be improved in some sections, for example "Deficit irrigation" is repeated three times in 4 lines in 2.3. Impact of environmental factors in agronomic, physiological and reproductive traits
Author Response
Thank you very much for your comments and suggestions.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Review horticulturae-1815766
Key determinants of the physiological and fruit quality traits in sweet cherries and their importance in a breeding programme
Line 17: along with fruit firmness are key → along with the firmness of the fruit are key
Keywords: two of the keywords are already in the title, please replace them with new ones
Introduction
One of the increasingly used agrotechnical treatments, also in Australia, aimed at improving the quality of fruits is thinning fruit or flowers. It is worth mentioning this in the introduction, especially since several works on this subject have recently been published.
Line 27, 41, 51, 57, 39 74 and many others: this is not variety this is cultivar, please check the botanical nomenclature, please check the entire paper. Below link (older one) about nomenclature set in Australia in 2011!
Line 27: it is open pollinated or self-pollinated
Line 59: I think protect against not from rain
Line 60: instead of has I suggest faces
The data presented in the Figure 1 seem unreliable. Certainly, the name of the cultivar should have been given. Individual development fazes will occur at different time depending on the ripening time of the cultivar. The difference in the length of the ripening period between early and late cultivars of cherries is more than 8 weeks. Literature given to the chart is inappropriate to cite in a scientific publication. The source cannot be an advisory platform .
Line 90: happens → occur
Lines 97-107: Since you give details of the degree days method , I do not understand why you do not give a single example of what sum of active temperatures is for examples of cultivars grown in Australia?
Chapters 2.2-2.3
Of great importance in the physiology of the tree is the rootstock used. The rootstock affects the decision on the density of planting trees, the method of cutting or thinning. The authors deal with rootstocks in chapter 5, which in my opinion should have happened earlier due to the key importance of this element in the tree. There are works about cherries talking about the influence of the rootstock on the number of flowers in the bud and the amount of pollen in the flower, and this will certainly be of great importance in the cultivation of this species in Australia. The authors did not mention anything about it.
Lines 227-229: In Australia, is cherry cracking prevented only by planting trees in high tunnels?
Chapter 4: Postahrvest..
You write only about the control carbon dioxide in KA cold stores. Did the content of the remaining gases not matter? In many countries around the world, cherries are stored and sold in disposable packaging sealed in MAP technology. Is it not the case in Australia?
Please correct the references is double numbered.
Author Response
Thank you very much for your valuable comments and suggestions.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
The manuscript improved considerably. There are only a few details, as the authors mention that figure 1 will be removed, and I still see it in the manuscript. Also, there are some details in figure 3, with errors in the labels.
Comments have been addressed, thank you.
Author Response
Thanks for your great support.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
