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Agronomy
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Application of Phytohormones in Postharvest Ripening and Quality Improvement of...
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Application of Phytohormones in Postharvest Ripening and Quality Improvement of Fruits

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Horticultural and Floricultural Crops".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 828

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hua Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, Guangzhou 510640, China
Interests: plant cuticle and the environmental response; postharvest biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Zhengke Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
Interests: postharvest biology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The application of phytohormones in postharvest fruit management has emerged as an important area of research, driven by the need to enhance fruit quality and reduce postharvest losses. The applications of phytohormones such as ethylene, auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, brassinolides, strigolactones, and melatonin have been addressed regarding ripening and various postharvest fruits. Recent advancements in biotechnology and molecular biology have enhanced our understanding of their mechanisms, enabling more precise control over preservation processes for fruits after harvest. This Special Issue focuses on the role of phytohormones in regulating fruit quality traits, including texture, flavor, bioactive compounds, pathogen infection, metrics of antioxidant activity, ROS levels, energy metabolism, cell wall modifications, and cuticle properties. Cutting-edge research utilizing advanced techniques such as transcriptomics, metabolomics, and genome editing will be highlighted to uncover novel insights. We invite original research articles, reviews, and methodological papers that address challenges in postharvest management, sustainability, and the development of eco-friendly phytohormone-based treatments. We welcome contributions encompassing all aspects of research, including studies on physiological, biochemical, and molecular regulatory mechanisms, to advance the understanding of this topic.

Dr. Hua Huang
Dr. Zhengke Zhang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • phytohormones
  • fruits
  • postharvest treatments
  • ripening
  • cuticle
  • physiological and biochemical changes
  • pathogen control
  • molecular regulation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 3446 KB  
Article
Influence of GA3 and CPPU on the Quality Attributes and Peelability of ‘Wuhe Cuibao’ Grape
by Xinyue Han, Yufei Mi, Huanling Wang, Shaosong Ye, Naomi Abe-Kanoh and Wei Ji
Agronomy 2025, 15(8), 1986; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15081986 - 19 Aug 2025
Viewed by 611
Abstract
Gibberellic acid (GA3) and forchlorfenuron (CPPU) are widely used plant growth regulators for promoting berry enlargement in grapes. To evaluate the effects of GA3 and CPPU on fruit quality and peelability of the seedless grape cultivar ‘Wuhe Cuibao’, and to [...] Read more.
Gibberellic acid (GA3) and forchlorfenuron (CPPU) are widely used plant growth regulators for promoting berry enlargement in grapes. To evaluate the effects of GA3 and CPPU on fruit quality and peelability of the seedless grape cultivar ‘Wuhe Cuibao’, and to determine the optimal concentration combination under the ecological conditions of Jinzhong, Shanxi Province, grape clusters were treated with varying concentrations of GA3 and CPPU at full bloom and again 14 days later (young fruit stage), with water treatment as the control (CK). After maturation, the fruits were harvested for subsequent analysis of external morphology and internal quality parameters in both fruit clusters and individual berries. Paraffin embedding and sectioning were performed to conduct histological observations of cuticle thickness and cellular morphology in the treated fruits. The results indicate that GA3 and CPPU treatments significantly enhanced the external quality of ‘Wuhe Cuibao’ grapes by effectively reducing fruit drop during cultivation. With the exception of T3 treatment, all treatments promoted both cluster elongation and berry enlargement. GA3 treatment alone was more effective than CPPU treatment, and its effects were positively correlated with concentration. The T2 treatment resulted in the greatest increases in fruit length, berry weight, pedicel thickness, and pedicel tensile strength, surpassing the control (CK) by 35.53%, 43.65%, 88.92%, and 104.76%, respectively. The combined application of GA3 and CPPU showed a synergistic effect, especially in T8, which led to the highest increases in cluster length (21.94%), cluster weight (41.92%), and berry width (13.49%) compared with the control. In addition, all treatments promoted the color transition of berries from green to yellow-green. Histological analysis showed a significant increase in cuticle thickness and in the size of both epidermal and subepidermal cells after treatment. In addition, all treatments increased fruit firmness and peel adherence in a concentration-dependent manner. GA3 treatment alone produced the greatest increases in both fruit firmness and peel–flesh adherence, while the addition of CPPU treatment alleviated these effects. All treatments improved internal fruit quality by increasing the content of vitamin C, reducing sugars, soluble sugars, starch, and cellulose. GA3 treatment alone significantly increased the levels of soluble solids, soluble proteins, and total phenols by 5.67%, 1.49%, and 5.38%, respectively, compared to the control (CK). In contrast, CPPU treatment alone significantly reduced the levels of these compounds. Notably, combined GA3 and CPPU treatment in T5 led to the highest accumulation of vitamin C and reducing sugars, with increases of 3.78% and 62.36%, respectively, compared to the CK. Additionally, all treatments reduced anthocyanin and titratable acid levels, with a synergistic effect observed under combined treatment in lowering titratable acidity. Comprehensive evaluation revealed that the combined application of 50 mg·L−1 GA3 and 5.0 mg·L−1 CPPU at full bloom and 14 days thereafter resulted in the greatest overall improvement in grape quality, offering theoretical and practical support for the efficient, high-quality cultivation of this cultivar. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Phytohormones in Postharvest Ripening and Quality Improvement of Fruits)
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