Evaluation of the Effect of 1-MCP Treatment on Flesh and Surface Color of Selected European and Asian Plum Fruit Using Machine Vision

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Introduction:

It would be appropriate to supplement the introduction with the mechanism of action of 1-MCP on stone fruit/plum fruits. Otherwise, the introduction is very general and non-specific. It would be advisable to correct of introduction it to be more scientific and problem specific.

Methodology:

The description of the term and the principle of choosing harvest maturity is completely missing - needs to be added.

Are the authors aware of the fact that Topend is Prunus domestica and plum Angeleno is Prunus salicina? This information is missing in the methodology. Information about commercial ripening stage is not methodology…

The Results:

The results where the ethylene and CO2 production of Angeleno was lower than Topend could be due to the fact that they are completely different botanical species…see note on variety origin (above)… and see note of low climacteric variety for discussion (below)…

3.2. The method of determining harvest maturity, which is not described in the methodology, greatly affects this assessment of disease severity. Fruits in the same period of fruit development-harvest maturity must be included in a similar evaluation (of course for all parameters) but here it is crucial. The difference in maturity significantly affects the course of metabolic changes in both variants treated and untreated fruits and the occurrence of rots...

It is absolutely essential that the method of determining the harvest maturity is stated... all the more so since these are again completely different botanical species…

The Discussion:

Furthermore, it is proven in publications that some varieties of Asian plum are so-called little climacteric... produce very little ethylene and require long ripening both "on" and "off" the tree to reach eating-ripe firmness. It would be good to develop this more in the discussion... In the discussion, this is commented on several examples of comparisons according to the literature, but mostly the Asian plum tree (P. salicina) versus the European plum tree (P. domestica). However, this comparison is not at all accurate due to the different requirements. Again, this needs to be adjusted in the discussion. It would be necessary to include in the discussion a wider study with several varieties for each species, especially European and especially Asian, and compare and discuss this study with that.

The example of watermelon is not very suitable, because unlike plums, watermelon is a non-climacteric fruit!

The article is not bad, but some conclusions are wrongly drawn because the qualitative changes after treatment are compared in significantly different types of fruit, it is necessary to make changes in the interpretation of the results and the discussion.

Author Response

Thank you for your detailed suggestions and comments. The manuscript was revised following the review. Detailed answers are uploaded in the attached file.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The manuscript contains results on the effect of 1-MCP treatment on the flesh and surface color of plum.

The Introduction should be improved. The application of machine vision should be supplemented.

The novelty of the study should be indicated in more detail.

line 73: Why were these cultivars chosen?

Please provide sample fruit images.

Directions for further research should be indicated in more detail.

Author Response

Thank you for the review and suggestions, comments. Manuscript was revised following the guidelines. Detailed answers to review are uploaded in the attached file.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

The manuscript has been significant improved