Apple Variety Assessment with Analytical Hierarchy Process

Preparatory work for the pest categorisation of three bacteria listed in the annexes of the Council directive 2000/29/EC Erwinia amylovora Winslow et al. Xylophilus ampelinus (Panagopoulos) Willems et al. Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. insidiosus(McCulloch) Davis et al

We carried out a detailed examination of the preliminary breeding (prebreeding) techniques during the development of triploid apple cultivars. The characteristics of diploid gamete donors are summarized. It should be noted that at times donors of diploid gametes with the necessary important traits must not only be selected among the existing tetraploid cultivars but also need to be specially bred, in particular, in cases when there are no cultivars and genotypes (donors of diploid gametes) with the given traits in nature. We developed the 30-47-88 apple form (Liberty × 13-6-106) by selection breeding. The 30-47-88 form is at once a donor of diploid gametes and of scab immunity (V f ). During 1970–2015, the following work was carried out on apple breeding using polyploidy: 455 crossing combinations were performed; 660000 flowers were artificially pollinated; 124700 hybrid seeds were obtained; and 47900 one-year-old seedlings were grown, from which, after multiple rejections, 13200 seedlings were planted in breeding orchards. For the first time in Russia, ten apple cultivars (Avgusta, Aleksandr Boiko, Bezhin Lug, Vavilovskoye, Dariona, Maslovskoye, Orlovsky Partizan, Osipovskoye, Patriot, and Yablochny Spas) are developed from intervalence crossings and regionalized. It is stated that apple cultivars developed at the All-Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding (VNIISPK) are characterized as a rule by a high level of productivity, better fruit marketability, greater resistance to scab, and higher autogamy. Apple cultivars combining triploidy and scab immunity are developed. Promising breeding work is being performed for apple cultivars combining triploidy, scab immunity, and columnar habit (Co). Brief characteristics are provided for the obtained triploid and scab immune cultivars, Vavilovskoye and Yablochny Spas, developed from intervalence crossings, as well as three triploid cultivars obtained from crossing diploid cultivars. It is noted that triploid apple cultivars developed at VNIISPK are inferior to none of the foreign cultivars, based on a complex of commercial traits, and they significantly excel foreign cultivars in adaptability. Our apple cultivars may contribute to the import substitution of fruit production in Russia.

Goal. To investigate the effectiveness of the insecticide Jalentra, CS (chlorantraniliprole, 106 g/l + bifenthrin, 159 g/l) in reducing the population and harmfulness of phytophagous arthropods and its impact on the productivity indicators of apple trees in commercial orchards. Methods. Route surveys were conducted from 2015 to 2024 in horticultural farms in the Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine (Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Poltava, and Kyiv regions) to determine the species composition and population density of major pests, the areas of orchards they infest, including the codling moth and various leafrollers, sucking pests (scale insects, false scale insects, aphids, and fruit mites). Research was carried out in 2023—2024 in commercial apple orchards under the conditions of the university’s educational and production department. The technical efficiency of Jalentra, CS (chlorantraniliprole, 106 g/l + bifenthrin, 159 g/l) was evaluated at different application rates against plant-feeding mites and insects damaging leaves, shoots, and generative organs of trees and its impact on apple productivity in commercial orchards. The accounting was carried out according to standard methods in fruit growing and plant protection. Results. According to route surveys in apple orchards of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine, the most numerous and harmful arthropod species during the summer growing season included 21 phytophagous species, specifically: Three mite species (family Tetranychidae); Three aphid species (suborder Aphidinea); Four scale insect and false scale insect species (suborder Coccidae); Five leafroller species (family Tortricidae); Six moth species (family Gracillariidae). During 2023—2024, the most harmful species in the university’s commercial apple orchards were: Mites: red fruit mite, common spider mite; Aphids: green apple aphid, red-gall or gray apple aphid, woolly apple aphid; Scale insects: California red scale, oyster shell scale (or false California scale), acacia false scale; Moths: rose leafroller, netted leafroller, timid leafroller, codling moth; Leaf-mining moths: hawthorn blotch miner, apple lower-side leaf miner, apple upper-side fruit miner. The application of Jalentra, CS resulted in a population reduction of: Mites by 87.9—90.5%; Aphids by 90.9—94.8%; Scale insects and false scale insects by 83.8—90.7%; Moths by 90.8—96.1%. This contributed to obtaining high-quality apple production, with yields 1.39—1.43 times higher than the control (water treatment). The percentage of non-standard products did not exceed 13.1%, compared to 24.8% in the control. The study also confirmed an increase in the biometric indicators of trees, namely: Annual shoot length: +2.0—14.5%; Internode length: +8.8—9.5%; Shoot thickness: 1.05 times thicker; Leaf surface area: +19.6—30.8%. These factors are crucial for forming fruit buds and future yields in apple orchards. No phytotoxic effects of the insecticide on plants were observed during the study. Conclusions. The application of Jalentra, CS (0.25—0.4 l/ha) effectively reduces the harmfulness of major arthropods in commercial apple orchards, providing long-term pest control during the growing season. It improves tree biometric parameters, increases yields, and enhances the commercial quality of apple production. For mites, woolly apple aphids, and California red scale, the recommended application rate is 0.35—0.4 l/ha. The technical efficiency results of Jalentra, CS against major arthropods in apple orchards suggest that it should be recommended to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine for further registration for apple orchards at the specified application rates and inclusion in the national list of approved pesticides and agrochemicals for use in Ukraine.

The main issues with solid waste management today are to identify and select the most appropriate solid waste treatment technologies as well as disposal method in selected areas. However the decision making process is getting more complicated especially dealing with its cost efficiency. Thus, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was chosen to use as tools to facilitate the decision making task. It is a method developed to support multi-criteria decisions, effective and practical approach that consider complex and unstructured decision. One model was developed as General Hierarchy Structure Model (GHSM) for selecting an appropriate solid waste treatment technology. The models was structured into hierarchy consists of goal, criteria subcriteria and alternatives. Based on political support, technical expertise, environmental impact, market potential, community involvement and cost critera, GHSM will give priority to recycling, composting, incineration or combination of technologies. The case study in Sepang Municipal Council, have shown that the combination of recycling and composting technology is the best alternative and suitable in Sepang area.

There is a need to increase the effectiveness and efficiency with which the operational fund budget is managed at RSUD Brigjend H. Hasan Basry Kandangan. Declining revenue projections and limited resources mean that hospitals must determine budget priorities in an objective and measurable way. This research aims to analyse the application of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method to determine operational fund budget priorities, providing recommendations to support more effective decision-making in a hospital environment. A qualitative approach was used, involving data collection through interviews and documentation, and analysis using the AHP method with the assistance of Expert Choice 11 software to compare criteria and service alternatives. The results showed that the main criteria for determining budget priorities are potential income, market demand, operational costs and limited resources. The analysis prioritised home care services due to their high revenue potential and market demand. The application of AHP has also been proven to increase the efficiency, transparency and accountability of budget decision-making processes. This study concludes that the AHP method can be an effective tool for BLUD Hospital's operational budget prioritisation process. It is recommended that the method be integrated into all work units and supported by training for optimal application.

A company can survive and thrive when the strategies and processes applied in its business are correct. One of the processes in determining strategy in decision making. The owner of Setia Store has difficulty in choosing a marketing strategy. The product layout shows this in the Setia Store, which confuses customers. Setia Store also rarely offers a promotion, making it difficult to compete with competitors. This study aims to help Setia Store increase sales by determining the right marketing strategy. To determine the right marketing strategy, there are three methods developed. First of all, the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is employed to find the customer priorities. Then, clustering is proposed to find potential marketing targets that have similar characteristics from the results of the AHP method. Third, association rule-market basket analysis (AR-MBA) is developed to find the best rules for product marketing strategy. The first method shows that the housewives (EV=0.6270) are Setia Store's priority customers from the three methods. Second, cluster 3 (which has three characteristics in common) is a very potential target market. Third, the best rule is to buy products from departments 2 and 3 (Confidence 60%, Support 12%). From these results, the right marketing strategy is to create a buy 1 get 1 promo banner or label for products that are rarely purchased, such as household appliances. Then, create a catalog by bringing together frequently purchased products such as spices and food ingredients. Finally, improve the layout by bringing the departmental shelves closer to frequently purchased products.

The aim of this study was to determine the seasonal population dynamics of spider mites [Panonychus ulmi (Koch), Amphitetranychus viennensis (Zacher), Bryobia rubrioculus (Scheuten)] and their natural enemies [Kampimodromus aberrans (Oudemans),Acari, Phytoseiidae; Zetzellia mali (Ewing),Acari, Stigmaeidae; and Stethorus punctillumWeise, Coleoptera, Coccinellidae] on Golden Delicious and Starking Delicious apple cultivars in three apple orchards of Van, Turkey, during 2002–2003. Surveys were carried out weekly from May to November in sprayed and unsprayed apple orchards. The results of study indicated that the population densities of spider mites began to increase generally in early May, reached the maximum level from mid June to lateAugust and persisted until late September in both years. During 2002 the dominant species on both apple cultivars was P. ulmi, whereas in 2003 it was A. viennensis. In this two-year period, the population densities of P. ulmi and A. viennensis reached the maximum level of 318.1 and 427.2 mites per leaf, respectively, in sprayed orchards. In unsprayed orchard, spider mites remained at very low levels because of the presence of K. aberrans which was the only predator of spider mites. On the other hand, in sprayed orchards, although S. punctillum and Z. mali were the most abundant predatory species on spider mites, they could not control them in either apple cultivar and years.

Aphids regularly infest apple orchards and are considered as one of the most damaging species, especially in humid conditions. In 2021-2023, the collection of different species and the rate of infestation by aphids on different apple varieties were studied in the region of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Among the four aphid species identified in the apple orchard, Aphis spiraecola and Dysaphis plantaginea were predominant, followed by Aphis pomi and Dysaphis devecta. The rate of infestation varied significantly among the apple varieties. The Gala Resistant was the most infested by the aphids with a population coefficient (K) 302.5, followed by the Crimson Crisp – 124, the Pinova – 91, and the Red del Mestar – 52.5. The least infested variety was the Super Chief – 0.9, followed by the Modi – 2.2, the Fujion – 2.8, the Enterprise – 7.2 and the Rosella – 19. Keywords: apples, varietal susceptibility, aphids

An invasive species, the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), has emerged as a serious pest of orchard crops in the United States with the highest economic losses to date in Mid-Atlantic apple, Malus domestica Borkh. (Rosales: Rosaceae). If populations continue to grow and spread in the Midwest, H. halys has the potential to become a significant apple pest in the region. The purpose of this study was to assess the risk for injury from H. halys to several popular cold-hardy apple cultivars (Haralson, Honeycrisp, and Zestar!) grown in the Midwestern United States utilizing both field no-choice tests and laboratory choice tests at multiple timings. Results from the field no-choice tests revealed a greater risk for Honeycrisp from H. halys injury compared with Zestar! in mid-August. Results from the laboratory choice tests revealed a greater risk for injury by H. halys for Honeycrisp compared with Zestar! at all timings tested and a greater risk for Haralson compared with Honeycrisp at a later timing. These results echo previous findings in that relative maturity of the fruit seems to play a role in determining the risk of an apple cultivar to H. halys injury. These results also serve as the first assessment of the potential impact of H. halys on different cold-hardy apple cultivars, which will help guide growers in cultivar selection and identifying which apple cultivars should be prioritized for scouting and management efforts.

Sagala Tofu and Tempeh MSMEs face challenges in selecting soybean suppliers due to inconsistencies in price, quality, and delivery reliability, which impact production and market demand fulfillment. Sagala Tofu and Tempe MSME is one of the MSMEs that requires 100–150 kg of soybeans daily. This research aims to help Sagala Tofu and Tempe MSME identify the correct standards (priority criteria/sub-criteria) for making decisions regarding soybean raw materials and to determine the best soybean supplier. The research method used is the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The results show that the priority criterion is quality (0.469), followed by price (0.230), quantity accuracy (0.159), delivery (0.102), and customer care (0.038). Based on these supplier selection criteria, supplier X was rated the best, with a score of 0.420, followed by supplier Z (0.340) and supplier Y (0.240).

Evaluation of Old Apple Cultivars Grown in Central Transylvania, Romania

Composition of clear and cloudy juices from French and Polish apples in relation to processing technology

Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding (VNIISPK) is the oldest breeding and pomological institution of Russia and one of the main suppliers of new apple cultivars in Central Russia. To date, the Institute has created and included in the State Register 56 apple cultivars of different maturation periods for the conditions of the Middle zone of Russia. In addition, our Institute took part in the creation of a number of cultivars for the North Caucasus. We have numerously drawn attention to the value of apple varieties of folk selection in creating adaptive, competitive cultivars. In this paper we tried to show the role of the tetraploid form of Papirovka of folk selection in the creation of new summer triploid cultivars with more regular fruiting and more marketable fruits. 20 cultivars have been created with the participation of the varieties of folk selection, including six cultivars with the participation of Antonovka Krasnobochka: Zarianka, Orlovsky Pioner, Pamyat Isaeva, Patriot, Svezhest and Slavyanin; five cultivars with the participation of tetraploid Papirovka: Avgusta, Dariona, Maslovskoye, Osipovskoye and Yablochny Spas; five cultivars with the participation of folk variety Antonovka Obyknovennaya widely distributed in the central part of Russia: Zdorovie, Imrus, Morozovskoye, Orlovim and Pamyat Voinu; three cultivars with the participation of Skryzhapel: Bolotovskoye, Vavilovskoye and Nizkorosloye; Ranneye Aloye with the participation of Papirovka (diploid). Of particular interest, in our opinion, are the summer triploid cultivars obtained with the participation of the variety of folk selection Papirovka tetraploid.

New Mexico green pod-type chile ( Capsicum annuum ) has significant importance as a vegetable crop. The cultivation and trade of New Mexico pod-type green chile are culturally significant within New Mexico (USA) and contribute to the state’s economy by providing income and employment to farmers and through supporting industries. However, because of the high cost and limited availability of labor, New Mexico pod-type green chile acreage has declined. Traditionally, New Mexico pod-type green chile is hand-harvested when the fruit are full-size but physiologically immature. To preserve and expand the production of New Mexico pod-type green chile, the adoption of mechanical harvest technologies is essential. In 2015 and 2016, experiments were conducted at New Mexico State University’s Los Lunas Agricultural Science Center (Los Lunas, NM, USA) to examine the effects of increased planting density on New Mexico pod-type green chile fruit size, plant architecture, and mechanical harvest efficiency. Two commercial New Mexico pod-type green chile cultivars, NuMex Joe E. Parker and AZ-1904, were direct-seeded on 17 Apr 2015 and 14 Apr 2016. On 11 Jun 2015 and 14 Jun 2016, three plant density treatments were implemented at 39,000 (high), 23,000 (medium), and 15,000 (standard) plants/acre. Before harvest, plant measurements, including height, width, height to first bifurcation, stem diameter, and number of lateral basal branches, were obtained. Plots were mechanically harvested using an inclined double helix harvester, and harvested material was sorted into marketable green fruit, machine-broken fruit, and nonpod plant material. Fruit measurements, including fruit weight, width, length, pericarp thickness, and number of locules, were obtained. Both cultivars exhibited a 9% increase in height to bifurcation accompanied by fewer basal branches grown at high density. Plant density did not significantly affect the fruit length, width, number of locules, and pericarp thickness. Plants grown at high density had an increased percentage of marketable fruit, with ‘NuMex Joe E. Parker’ having a higher percentage of marketable green fruit compared to ‘AZ-1904’. The results demonstrated that an increase in planting density in production fields to 39,000 plants/acre coupled with cultivar selection enhanced efficiency in a mechanical harvest system.

Badan Pengelola Keuangan Haji (BPKH), a government agency mandated to manage hajj funds, is authorized to invest abroad under Law No. 34 of 2014. In 2023, BPKH established its first subsidiary in Saudi Arabia through Sole Ownership (Greenfield) as its chosen international entry mode. However, the organization currently lacks a formal framework for selecting the optimal mode. This study aims to determine and prioritize decision criteria for BPKH’s international entry mode selection and to develop a decision-making model to support future investments. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the study systematically evaluates qualitative and quantitative criteria derived from the Eclectic Paradigm framework and expert interviews with seven key BPKH decision-makers. Expert pairwise comparisons indicate that Location Advantage is the most influential criterion (0.519). Among sub-criteria, Organizational Capability (0.175), Part of the Hajj Ecosystem (0.170), and Market Potential (0.154) rank highest in influence. The analysis of four alternative entry modes shows the following ranking: (1) Sole Ownership (Acquisition) with a score of 68.82; (2) Majority Joint Venture (58.06); (3) Sole Ownership (Greenfield) (57.75); and (4) Minority Joint Venture (52.94). The findings provide a structured model enabling BPKH to make better-informed and accountable international expansion decisions aligned with its mission to optimize hajj fund management for the benefit of Indonesian pilgrims.