Feb. 11, 2015
By Fred Miller, Division of Agriculture Communications
479-575-5647, fmiller@uark.edu
Fast Facts:

Undergraduate horticulture students participated in research efforts at the University of
Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Fruit Research Station.

The students’ work helped advanced division research and breeding efforts to improve
fruit production in Arkansas.
Undergraduates lend their hands to fruit research
See video showing students’ fruit research at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My_36zgZJMM.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Fruit Research Station at Clarksville added an
undergraduate flavor to its horticultural efforts this year and the results are decidedly
sweet.
Three Bumpers College undergraduate horticulture majors lent their hands and
heads to University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture fruit research during the
summer.
Senior Olivia Hines of Stuttgart and junior Lesley Smith of Alpena served
internships at the station, earning academic credit for their work. Sophomore Loren
Anthony of Fayetteville worked as a summer employee.
All three horticulture majors worked with station personnel to help build a
database of knowledge that helps advance the division's fruit breeding, cultivation and
management research, said John R. Clark, University Professor of horticulture, who
directs the fruit breeding program.
“This is an opportunity to experience research as an undergraduate and see if
maybe graduate school is something we’d want to do,” Hines said. “And we’re learning
how to work together as a team.”
Hines said she has dabbled in everything that goes on at the Clarksville station. “I
wanted to extract knowledge from the station’s staff about the mechanics of fruit farming
— pruning plants, training vines, and other skills,” she said.
Early in the summer, Hines conducted an honors thesis project on sensory
perception of blackberries. She worked with Division of Agriculture food scientist Renee
Threfall to set up four taste test panels in the division’s sensory perception lab in
Fayetteville.
Two of the test panels were designed to determine consumer preferences for
flavor, texture, size, and other traits. Two panels were designed to acquire descriptive
analysis of those traits.
There were 76 consumer testers and 11 descriptors.
Hines harvested the berries at Clarksville one day and conducted the tests in the
sensory perception lab in Fayetteville the next day.
The tests included a crispy blackberry that Smith has been working on with Ph.D.
student Alejandra Salgado of Chile. Samples also included tart and low-acid berries.
“The aim was to see what people want when they go to the store to buy
blackberries,” Hines said.
Clark does most evaluations for breeding line selection on site at the Fruit
Research Station. “This was the first time we used consumer panels to evaluate breeding
lines for advancement toward release as a variety,” Hines said.
Later in the summer, Hines worked with Ph.D. student Terrence Frett of
Wisconsin to phenotype peaches — characterizing visual traits, acidity and sweetness.
They used the resulting data to validate genetic markers for those traits and to build an
online history of breeding information.
Smith worked with Salgado on a study to measure firmness and evaluate texture
of blackberry and peach selections and varieties at harvest and at intervals thereafter to
determine fruit quality during storage and shipping.
They used a computer-controlled machine that measures the force needed to
puncture the fruit. It provides a quantifiable measure of firmness and texture.
The project is part of Salgado’s research on evaluating breeding selections for
firmness to improve post-harvest handling and storage.
Clark said the research is aimed at giving consumers the best possible experience
when eating store-bought fruit. “We want to know it tastes good when it gets to
somebody’s mouth,” he said.
Anthony helped program associate Taunya Ernst with advanced trials for the
blackberry breeding program and other research projects. She picked blackberries at
harvest, analyzed samples in the lab and compiled the data.
Anthony’s analyses included tests for acidity and sweetness and measurements of
berry weight — all traits that are evaluated in breeding selections that are being
considered for eventual release as varieties.
Part of her efforts were aimed at selecting berries for reduced acidity as well as
for flavor and texture traits that consumers prefer.
One of the goals of having the undergraduates at work on the station was to learn
together, Clark said. At times, they all got together to see how crosses are made and other
activities associated with fruit breeding and research.
“We’d just gather up and go look and see how things are done,” Clark said.
All three undergraduate students worked with Frett in the first four weeks of the
summer on research concerning bacterial spot disease in peaches, Clark said. The results
were correlated with genetic markers, which can help breeders make crosses to improve
resistance.
“All these projects by all three students are different parts of a bigger picture,”
Clark said, “to discover what people want in their food and develop fruit varieties that
meet consumer desire.”
Clark said one of his chief goals in bringing undergraduates into research
activities at the Fruit Research Station is to inspire tomorrow’s horticultural research and
production leaders. “All three students gained substantially from the experience,” he said.
News releases and photos are available online at
http://arkansasagnews.uark.edu/392.htm
The University of Arkansas is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.
HORT interns012:
LAB WORK — Sophomore Loren Anthony extracts blueberry juice from the fruit and
measures acidity and sweetness. Anthony worked a summer at the Fruit Research
Station to learn more about fruit research and fieldwork.
HORT interns041:
RIPE FOR HARVEST — Senior Olivia Hines harvests peaches that will be phenotyped
for visual traits, acidity and sweetness. Hines served a summer internship in which,
among other things, she conducted her own honors thesis research on sensory analysis
of blackberries.
HORT interns109:
PENETRATING DATA — Junior Lesley Smith, left, works with Ph.D. student Alejandra
Salgado to measure the firmness of peach flesh. The measurements provide
quantitative data that is useful for evaluating breeding lines for their potential to become
commercial cultivars.