Search Results (27)

This study addresses the critical need for effective data fusion strategies in pest prediction for pitahaya (dragon fruit) cultivation in the Ecuadorian Amazon, where heterogeneous data sources—such as environmental sensors and chlorophyll measurements—offer complementary but fragmented insights. Current agricultural monitoring systems often fail to integrate these data streams, limiting early pest detection accuracy. To overcome this, we compared early and late fusion approaches using comprehensive experiments. Multidimensionality is a central challenge: the datasets span temporal (hourly sensor readings), spatial (plot-level chlorophyll samples), and spectral (chlorophyll reflectance) dimensions. We applied dimensionality reduction techniques—PCA, KPCA (linear, polynomial, RBF), t-SNE, and UMAP—to preserve relevant structure and enhance interpretability. Evaluation metrics included the proportion of information retained (score) and cluster separability (silhouette score). Our results demonstrate that early fusion yields superior integrated representations, with PCA and KPCA-linear achieving the highest scores (0.96 vs. 0.94), and KPCA-poly achieving the best cluster definition (silhouette: 0.32 vs. 0.31). Statistical validation using the Friedman test (${\chi }^2$ = 12.00, p = 0.02) and Nemenyi post hoc comparisons (p < 0.05) confirmed significant performance differences. KPCA-RBF performed poorly (score: 0.83; silhouette: 0.05), and although t-SNE and UMAP offered visual insights, they underperformed in clustering (silhouette < 0.12). These findings make three key contributions. First, early fusion better captures cross-domain interactions before dimensionality reduction, improving prediction robustness. Second, KPCA-poly offers an effective non-linear mapping suitable for tropical agroecosystem complexity. Third, our framework, when deployed in Joya de los Sachas, improved pest prediction accuracy by 12.60% over manual inspection, leading to more targeted pesticide use. This contributes to precision agriculture by providing low-cost, scalable strategies for smallholder farmers. Future work will explore hybrid fusion pipelines and sensor-agnostic models to extend generalizability. Full article

The cactus Selenicereus undatus (S. undatus), known as pitahaya or dragon fruit, is one of the pitaya species of economic importance for different countries worldwide, particularly in China, Mexico, Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the United States, among other countries. On the other hand, Cactophagus spinolae (C. spinolae) is a pest insect found in Mexico, known as the cactus weevil or borer. This study reports, for the first time, C. spinolae feeding and damage to the vascular stem and flower bud of wild S. undatus plants in Jalisco, Mexico. Field sampling was conducted in wild populations of S. undatus between July and October 2024. The results of our study confirm that C. spinolae actively feeds on S. undatus, causing damage to the plant, primarily to the vascular cylinder of mature and immature stems, as well as to flower buds and tissues. During monitoring, we observed a total of nine eggs, nine larvae, and sixteen adults in different plant samples, confirming that S. undatus serves as a reproductive host for C. spinolae. The results highlight the threat of C. spinolae to S. undatus in the State of Jalisco, which highlights the need to incorporate new agricultural strategies to mitigate the impact that this insect has on pitahaya. Full article

Meloidogyne incognita, a widely distributed plant parasite that is considered one of the most devastating species for various crops, has traditionally been controlled through the use of synthetic products. However, the risks associated with these products for human health and the environment have prompted a search for more sustainable alternatives. In this context, plant extracts rich in secondary metabolites, such as those of Tagetes zypaquirensis and Dysphania ambrosioides, have shown potential for nematode management, although their efficacy varies. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of extracts of T. zypaquirensis, Lonchocarpus urucu, D. ambrosioides, Urera laciniata, and Ricinus communis on the population of M. incognita in Selenicereus megalanthus under controlled greenhouse conditions. A completely randomized block experimental design was used with three replicates per treatment and six yellow pitahaya (or dragon fruit) plants per experimental unit. A total of 10 g of extract per plant was applied at two application times: 7 days before nematode inoculation and 7 days after. In addition, two controls were included: an absolute control, with no extract application and no nematode inoculation, and an inoculated control, consisting of plants exposed only to nematodes. The results showed that the preventive application of T. zypaquirensis and D. ambrosioides extracts 7 days before nematode inoculation significantly reduced M. incognita populations compared to the inoculated control. At 60 days, both extracts were able to reduce nematode populations and the number of nodules on roots, with reproductive factors close to 1 (1.47 and 1.50), indicating efficient control. Moreover, plants treated with these extracts showed superior growth compared to the other treatments and the inoculated control. In conclusion, the preventive application of T. zypaquirensis and D. ambrosioides extracts had a positive influence on the control of M. incognita and caused an improvement in plant growth variables. These results suggest that these botanical extracts could be adopted within integrated nematode management strategies in agriculture, contributing to sustainability and a reduction in the use of chemicals. Full article

Pitahaya (Hylocereus megalanthus), commonly known as dragon fruit, is grown in tropical areas and has a promising future in the world market. At present, it is a crop developed by small-scale farmers. However, finding optimal areas for installing this crop is a major challenge. In this study, we evaluated the suitability of land for pitahaya cultivation in the department of Amazonas using integrated multi-criteria techniques such as geographic information systems (GISs) and remote sensing (RS). The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method was used to select and rank the suitability criteria. The fuzzy-AHP (F-AHP) method was then applied to perform pairwise comparisons and determine the linguistic scaling of the requirements, and, using the Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE), the requirements with the highest preference for land suitability were selected. The results reported that for pitahaya cultivation, the most important criterion was mean annual temperature (20.70%), followed by soil organic matter (11.8%), mean annual rainfall (9.50%), and proximity to roads (9.0%). The final suitability map indicated that 0.006% (2.39 km²) was very suitable, 4.60% (1661.97 km²) moderately suitable, 0.10% (34.65 km²) marginally suitable, and 95.30% (34,459.31 km²) of the study area was not suitable. Full article

The physicochemical properties of fruits at different maturity stages using grafting technology are of great importance since grafting can alter the nutritional and functional parameters of the fruit. In this study, grafted yellow pitahaya (Selenicereus megalanthus Haw.) fruit, grown on live tutors, was evaluated from stages 0 to 5. The following response variables were recorded: fruit weight, diameter, and length; pulp weight with seed and peel; color; firmness; total soluble solids content; titratable acidity; pH; total flavonoid content; total polyphenol content; and antioxidant activity determined using FRAP and ABTS. The results show that fruits harvested from grafted plants have better physical characteristics such as fruit weight, diameter, and length. However, the total soluble solids content and titratable acidity were similar in fruits from grafted and ungrafted plants. The highest content of total polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity determined by ABTS and FRAP were found in fruits at maturity stage 0, and the content decreased as the fruits ripened. A positive correlation was found between the total polyphenol content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant capacity with protein content. The S. megalanthus grafting technique is a promising technology for sustainable production because it reduces pesticide use by combatting soil pathogens and not modifying fruit quality. Full article

Pitahaya or dragon fruit is an exotic fruit native to Mesoamerica and is cultivated in several regions of the world. In recent years, pitahaya has become increasingly in demand, firstly, for its good nutritional and organoleptic qualities and, secondly, for its richness in antioxidants and bioactive compounds. Spain has opted for new tropical crops, and among them, pitahaya is one of the most planted in recent years. Most of the investigations on pitahaya were conducted with red cultivars, while the research on yellow pitahaya (Selenicereus megalanthus Haw.) is very scarce. In this review, the current knowledge about types of pitahayas, the fruit growth and ripening, the quality attributes, the postharvest storage, the use of by-products, and the health attributes were covered. Full article

Pitahaya (Hylocereus spp.) is an economically significant cactus fruit in Peru, renowned for its rich nutritional profile and antioxidant properties while exhibiting wide biological diversity. This study aimed to morphologically characterize seven pitahaya accessions using qualitative and quantitative descriptors related to the cladodes, flowers, and fruits. Univariate and multivariate (FAMD, PCA, MCA, and clustering) analyses were employed to identify and classify the accessions based on their morphological traits. The analyses revealed three distinct groups: one consisting solely of AC.07; another with AC.02, AC.04, and AC.06; and a third including AC.01, AC.03, and AC.05. The first group exhibited superior characteristics, particularly in fruit traits such as the stigma lobe count (23.3), number of bracts (26.5 mm), and length of apical bracts (15.75 mm). The second group recorded the highest spine count (3.21), bract length (16.95 mm), and awn thickness (5.12 mm). The third group had the highest bract count (37) and an average locule number (23.65). These findings highlight the significant morphological diversity among the accessions, indicating the potential for classification and selection in pitahaya cultivation. The potential of AC.07 stands out in terms of its agronomic qualities, such as its fruit weight (451.93 g) and pulp weight (292.5 g), surpassing the other accessions. Full article

Yellow pitahaya is a tropical fruit that has gained popularity in recent years. Natural elicitors are compounds that can stimulate the resistance and quality of fruits. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of natural elicitors, methyl salicylate (MeSa), methyl jasmonate (JaMe), salicylic acid (SA) and oxalic acid (OA) at concentrations of 0.1 mM (MeSa and JaMe) and 5 mM (SA and OA), applied to the yellow pitahaya fruits under greenhouse conditions. After full blossom, four applications were made with a frequency of 15 days. At the time of harvest and after storage, the following variables were evaluated: firmness (whole fruit), total soluble solids (TSS), total acidity (TA), phenolics and carotenoids (in the pulp), while phenolics, carotenoids, macronutrients and micronutrients were determined in the peel. The results showed MeSa advanced the fruit maturation, according to higher TSS, lower TA and firmness than MeJa-treated fruits, for which a delayed ripening process was shown. All treatments induced a higher polyphenolic concentration during storage. Regarding the alternative use of the peel as a by-product, the application of natural elicitors significantly increased the content of polyphenols, carotenoids, macronutrients and micronutrients in the peel, especially MeSa, which can be used as a bioactive compound in the food industry. In conclusion, the results indicate that natural elicitors can be an alternative to improve the quality and shelf life of yellow pitahaya fruits. Full article

Yellow pitahaya (Selenicereus megalanthus Haw.) is an exotic fruit with great potential for exportation in Ecuador. The research was carried out with the objective of evaluating the fruit growth and ripening as affected by four elicitors: salicylic acid (SA), methyl salicylate (MeSa), methyl jasmonate (MeJa), and oxalic acid (OA), all of them at 1, 5, and 10 mM concentration, compared with untreated plants (control). For each elicitor, nine plants were selected, and on each plant, three fruits were marked to follow up the growth by measuring polar and equatorial diameters. At harvest, yield (kg plant⁻¹ and number of fruits plant⁻¹), fruit weight, percentage of pulp and skin, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), and firmness were determined. Treated plants enhanced fruit size, crop yield, and fruit weight compared with control fruits, although results depended on the elicitor tested and applied doses. The highest and lowest TSS were found in 10 mM MeSa and 5 mM MeJa-treated fruit, respectively, while the highest TA content was shown in 5 mM SA. Firmness was only enhanced in MeJa-treated fruits. Overall, results suggest that preharvest use of elicitors could modulate the pitahaya ripening and could improve quality attributes at harvest. Full article

The aim of this work was to assess the chemical composition and physico-chemical, techno-functional, and in vitro antioxidant properties of flours obtained from the peel and flesh of pitahaya (Hylocereus ocamponis) to determine their potential for use as ingredients for food enrichment. The chemical composition, including total betalains, mineral content, and polyphenolic profile, was determined. The techno-functional properties (water holding, oil holding, and swelling capacities) were also evaluated. For the antioxidant capacity, four different methodologies, namely ferrous ion-chelating ability assay, ferric-reducing antioxidant power assay; 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging ability assay, and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical assay, were used. Pitahaya-peel flour had higher values for protein (6.72 g/100 g), ash (11.63 g/100 g), and dietary fiber 56.56 g/100 g) than pitahaya-flesh flour, with values of 6.06, 3.63, and 8.22 g/100 g for protein, ash, and dietary fiber, respectively. In the same way, pitahaya peel showed a higher content of minerals, betalains, and polyphenolic compounds than pitahaya-flesh flour, with potassium (4.43 g/100 g), catechin (25.85 mg/g), quercetin-3-rhamnoside (11.66 mg/g) and myricetrin (12.10 mg/g) as principal compounds found in the peel. Again, pitahaya-peel flour showed better techno-functional and antioxidant properties than pitahaya-flesh flour. The results obtained suggest that the flours obtained from the peel and pulp of pitahaya (H. ocamponis) constitute a potential material to be utilized as an ingredient in the food industry due to the high content of bioactive compounds such as betalains, phenolic acids, and flavonoids, with notable antioxidant capacity. Full article

Climate change-induced prolonged water stress (WS) affects crassulacean acid metabolism photosynthesis in pitaya (Hylocereus), limiting crop productivity through insufficient photosynthate. To document how WS/rehydration affects diel photosynthesis, red-fleshed pitaya (H. polyrhizus) micropropagules were studied for 5 weeks in a mannitol-induced water potential gradient replaced with moderate (MWS; −1.0 MPa in week 2; −0.5 MPa for the rest) or intensified (IWS; −1.0 and −1.5 MPa in weeks 2 and 3; −0.5 MPa for the rest) WS in vitro. Net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and integrated net CO₂ uptake (INCU) were measured using an Arduino-based photosynthesis system. Micropropagules under MWS had similar Pn in weeks 5 and 1, whereas the control (−0.5 MPa) increased. Pn recovery did not occur after IWS. The average relative INCU was similar in the control and MWS, but lower in IWS. The Pn difference increased with WS, becoming more evident at dawn (Phase II), evening (Phase IV), and predawn the next day (Phase I), and occurred earlier in Phases IV and I under IWS. MWS did not reduce photosynthesis, demonstrating that the photosynthetic regulation could respond to short-term WS in pitaya and indicating the potential of watering for Pn recovery at evening and predawn under IWS. Full article

This research aimed to assess the influence of red dragon fruit peels ratio (RDF-PR) from two species, Hylocereus hybridum (HH) and Hylocereus undatus (HU), and particle size (PS) on quality parameters of red dragon fruit peel powder (RDF-PP) and its further application in emulsified alpaca-based sausages as partial substitutes of pork-back fat. A three-level full factorial design (nine treatments) was employed to evaluate the effect of RDF-PR (HH(0%):HU(100%), HH(50%):HU(50%), and HH(100%):HU(0%)) and PS (499–297, 296–177, and <177 µm) on the dependent variables: L*, a*, b*, C, h°, water-holding capacity, oil-holding capacity, swelling capacity, pectin yield, degree of esterification (analysed through FT-IR), and crude fibre content. The data analysed through a response surface methodology showed that treatment one (T1) is the best with the optimised conditions at 100% HU RDF-PR and PS of <177 µm. The statistical validation of T1 exhibited the highest water-holding capacity (32.1 g/g peel), oil-holding capacity (2.20 g oil/g peel), and pectin yield (27.1%). A completely randomised design (four formulations) was then used to assess the effect of partial replacement of pork-back fat by T1 in emulsified alpaca-based sausages on the colourimetric, physicochemical, and texture properties (hardness, chewiness, cohesiveness, springiness, adhesiveness, and adhesive force). Likewise, a sensory hedonic scale was employed to evaluate the appearance, colour, odour, flavour, texture, and overall acceptability of sausages. The results revealed that 65.7% of pork-back fat content was successfully replaced compared with a control formulation. Additionally, F3 showed significantly (p < 0.05) better colourimetric, physicochemical, and textural characteristics, such as lower hardness (34.8 N) and chewiness (21.7 N) and higher redness (a* = 19.3) and C (22.9), compared to a control formulation. This research presents RDF-PP as a promising fat substitute for developing healthier, reduced-fat meat products using fibre-rich agroindustry by-products. Full article

Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit with significant potential for consumers and producers. The quality assurance of this high-value product is crucial to satisfy consumer expectations. The quality of imported dragon fruit after storage may deteriorate due to inappropriate storage conditions. The firmness of dragon fruit is an essential parameter to estimate its conditions, and it is usually measured by destructive testing. The objective of the present study is to develop and test a non-destructive robotic sensor for assessing dragon fruit quality related to texture deterioration. Sixty white-fresh dragon fruits obtained from a store were divided in two sets of thirty fruits and stored 48 h at different conditions (cold and room storage) to produce deteriorated and consumer-acceptable fruits. First, the fruit samples were assessed non-destructive with the force sensor of a collaborative robot while they were touched. The robot tool is a pad capable of adapting and copying fruit shapes while controlling its hardness with the jamming transition of its internal granular fill. Second, the fruits were evaluated with destructive tests such as fruit firmness, flesh firmness, and soluble solid content. The procedure followed to produce deteriorated and acceptable fruits were confirmed. A discriminant analysis was carried out to segregate the fruit between the two categories according to the non-destructive variables extracted from the sensor. The variables obtained from the robotic first slope (S1) and the difference between the maximum value and the first overshoot (Os) were significant predictors for the separation in the two quality categories. Promising results were obtained with 77.50% of well classified fruit from the model data set, and 84.21% from the validation data set. The use of the robot could be an efficient tool in evaluating the quality of dragon fruit. This process may lead to substantial savings, particularly considering the elevated cost associated with the importation of tropical fruits into the European market. Full article

The main objective of this study was to optimize the extraction of dietary fiber (insoluble dietary fiber and soluble dietary fiber) and degree of esterification from yellow dragon fruit peels using ultrasound-assisted extraction. Additionally, the study aimed to investigate the potential application of this fiber as a fat replacement in alpaca-based sausages. The optimization process for extracting dietary fiber and degree of esterification involved considering various factors, including the liquid-to-solid ratio, pause time, and total ultrasound application time. A Box–Behnken design consisting of 15 treatments was employed to determine the optimal levels for ultrasound-assisted extraction. The optimized conditions were found to be a liquid-to-solid ratio = 30 mL/g, pause time = 1 s, and total ultrasound application time = 60 min, which resulted in the highest values of insoluble dietary fiber (61.3%), soluble dietary fiber (10.8%), and the lowest value of degree of esterification (39.7%). The predicted values were validated against experimental data and showed no significant differences (p > 0.05). Furthermore, a completely randomized design was utilized to assess the effect of dietary fiber on replacing fat content during the production of alpaca-based sausages. The findings revealed that up to 78% of the fat content could be successfully replaced by soluble dietary fiber obtained from yellow dragon fruit peels when compared to high-fat sausages. Additionally, experimental sausages using soluble dietary fiber showed similar (p > 0.05) quality characteristics, such as hardness (24.2 N), chewiness (11.8 N), springiness (0.900), cohesiveness (0.543), redness (a* = 17.4), and chroma values (20.0), as low-fat commercial sausages. Full article

The yellow pitahaya peels generated as by-products during the consumption and processing of the fresh fruit are a rich and underutilized source of betaxanthins (natural yellow-orange pigment with antioxidant activity) and mucilage (structuring material used in the spray-drying process), molecules of high interest for the food industry. In this work, the betaxanthin-rich extract (BRE) obtained from this by-product was microencapsulated by spray drying (SD) using pitahaya peel mucilage (MPP) and maltodextrin (MD) as wall materials. Both types of microencapsulates (i.e., SD-MPP and SD-MD) retained high betaxanthin content (as measured by UV-vis) and antioxidant activity (ORAC). These microencapsulates were characterized structurally (FTIR and zeta potential), morphologically (SEM and particle size/polydispersity index), and thermally (DSC/TGA). The powdered microencapsulates were incorporated into the formulation of candy gummies as a food model, which were subjected to an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion process. The characterization study (FTIR and antioxidant activity) of the microcapsules showed that the fruit peel mucilage favors the retention of betaxanthins, while the SEM analysis revealed a particle size of multimodal distribution and heterogeneous morphology. The addition of SD-MPP microcapsules in the candy gummy formulation favored the total dietary fiber content as well as the gumminess and chewiness of the food matrix; however, the inhibition of AAPH^• (%) was affected. The stability of the yellow color in the gummies after 30 days of storage indicates its suitability for storage. Consequently, the microencapsulation of betaxanthins with pitahaya peel mucilage can be used as a food additive colorant in the food industry, replacing synthetic colorants, to develop products with beneficial qualities for health that can satisfy the growing demand of consumers. Full article