Sustainable Approaches for Fruit Quality of Horticultural Crops

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2026 | Viewed by 622

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici, Italy
Interests: biostimulants; olive tree; biodiversity; abiotic stress; fruit quality

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici, Italy
Interests: biostimulants; olive tree; biodiversity; abiotic stress; germoplasm
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici, Italy
Interests: environmental stress; eco-physiological response; fruit yield and quality; tree nut; urban horticulture

Special Issue Information

 Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue highlights sustainable approaches for enhancing the nutritional, sensory, and functional quality of fruits while reducing the environmental footprint of horticultural production. A special focus is placed on bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, carotenoids, and vitamins, because of their pivotal role in both human health and market value. Central to this aim is understanding how nutrient‑management practices, cultivation techniques, and climate‑related stressors intersect to shape both crop performance and end‑product quality.

We welcome original research and reviews that examine and evaluate the following topics:

  • The combined effects of environment, management, and genotype on fruit quality;
  • Practical strategies for boosting nutrient‑use efficiency and the accumulation of health‑promoting phytochemicals through innovative fertilisation regimes, biostimulants, or soil health interventions;
  • Integrated, eco‑friendly production systems capable of sustaining yield, bioactive‑compound richness, and consumer appeal under changing climatic conditions.

Dr. Aurora Cirillo
Prof. Claudio Di Vaio
Prof. Dr. Chiara Cirillo
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. Horticulturae 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 2200 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

  • sustainable horticulture
  • nutrient use efficiency
  • genotype–environment interactions
  • fruit and vegetable quality
  • bioactive compounds

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 3584 KB  
Article
Impact of Irrigation and Artificial Pollination on Macadamia: Fruit Set and Yield
by Zi-Xuan Zhao, Zhang-Jie Zhou, Jing-Jing Zhou, Jin-Xue Li, Fan Yang, Hong-Xia Yang and Jin-Zhi Zhang
Horticulturae 2025, 11(9), 1111; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11091111 - 13 Sep 2025
Viewed by 449
Abstract
Severe flower and fruit abscission leading to low yields makes improving fruit set and increasing production critical challenges in Macadamia cultivation. Irrigation and artificial pollination during the flowering period significantly influence the fruiting and yield of macadamia. However, the synergistic effect of these [...] Read more.
Severe flower and fruit abscission leading to low yields makes improving fruit set and increasing production critical challenges in Macadamia cultivation. Irrigation and artificial pollination during the flowering period significantly influence the fruiting and yield of macadamia. However, the synergistic effect of these two factors on macadamia production and yield remains unclear. This study investigated the effects of irrigation and artificial pollination on fruit set and yield using 11-year-old ‘A16’ Macadamia trees. Four treatments were applied: drought (DC), drought with artificial pollination (DC + AP), irrigation (I), and irrigation with artificial pollination (I + AP). Each treatment included three biological replicates, with a total of 12 trees. We assessed fruit set and yield, analyzing underlying mechanisms by evaluating changes in pollen viability, leaf morphology, inflorescence characteristics, and leaf/inflorescence physiology. Results revealed that DC + AP, I, and I + AP treatments exhibited significantly higher pollen viability and raceme length compared to DC. The I + AP treatment also resulted in the longest summer shoot internode length. Racemes were more sensitive to drought stress than leaves. Soluble protein and soluble sugar content in racemes were significantly higher in I + AP than in I and DC + AP, and lowest in DC. The DC treatment showed significantly higher superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents compared to I and I + AP. Leaf physiological traits exhibited inconsistent changes across treatments. Both artificial pollination and irrigation significantly increased fruit set. Treatment efficacy ranked as follows: I + AP (102.00% increase) > DC + AP (56.00% increase) > I (14.00% increase) > DC. Consequently, the I + AP treatment achieved significantly higher yield, fruit numbers, and fruit diameters than the other treatments. In terms of yield, treatment efficacy ranked as follows: I + AP (77.72% increase) > DC + AP (41.14 increase) > I (27.54% increase) > DC. These findings provide a scientific basis for enhancing yield in high-yield Macadamia cultivation systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Approaches for Fruit Quality of Horticultural Crops)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop