(Model)Cover Letter

to Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca

Dear Editor,

on behalf of my co-authors, I would like to submit a manuscript entitled “Parameters

of Inner Quality of the Apple Scab Resistant and Susceptible Apple Cultivars (Malus

domestica Borkh.)” to be published in Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca

journal.

(Highlights - a short collection or bullet points that convey the core findings of the

article), eg: In the present study, several apple cultivars, resistant and susceptible to apple

scab, were evaluated for fruits quality. The group of new resistant cultivars proved to be

unsuitable for climatic conditions of the studied area. There were identified several cultivars

with a better quality of fruits than the well-known cultivars. In addition, characteristics of

other evaluated cultivars and their potential prospects for growing in new orchards are briefly

presented…

Potential Reviewers

(Please add five reviewers for your article, with full contact data, which have

expertise with the topic, compulsory from other countries than the authors’. They have to be

qualified to provide an independent assessment of the work)

1. Dr. Jonathan JOHNSON, Michigan University, Horticulture Department, USA;

Phone: 565.494.1329, Fax: 565-1924-0325; jjhonson@purdue.edu

2. Dr. Javier ARRONES, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain; Tel/Fax: +14

75579578; jarrones@btc.upv.es

3. …

4. …

5. Dr. Mario PAOLETTI, Bologna University, Italy, Tel/Fax: +4213224449;

mpaoletti@unibo.it

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In consideration of the publication, we hereby warrant and undertake:

1. This article is an original work and no portion of the study has been published or is

under consideration for publication elsewhere.

2. None of the authors has any potential conflict of interest related to this manuscript.

3. All authors have contributed to the work, and they have agreed to submit the

manuscript.

Your consideration of the manuscript would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely yours,

Authors,

(Please give full contact data for all co-authors; use capital letters for family name;

include institutional data and e-mail for all co-authors; please see affiliation editing below)

Dr. Robert SMITH

University of Western Australia, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, 35

Stirling Highway Crawley WA 6009, Perth, Australia; rsmith2000@yahoo.co.aus

Dr. Peter C. WILLIAMS (Corresponding author)

Curtin University of Technology, School of Public Health, Division of Health

Sciences, Selby Street, WA 6008, Shenton Park, Australia; pwilliams@gmail.com

Jennifer TOTH

University of Western Australia, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, 35

Stirling Highway Crawley WA 6009, Perth, Australia; jenniftoth@yahoo.co.aus

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Parameters of Inner Quality of the Apple Scab Resistant and Susceptible Apple

Cultivars (Malus domestica Borkh.)

(Title is written bolded, every word in a title must be capitalized except for short

minor words (transition words) such as “a”, “an”, “and”, “as”, “at”, “by”, “for”, “from”, “if”,

“in”, “into”, “on”, “or”, “of”, “the”, “to”, “with” etc.)

Robert SMITH1, Peter C. WILLIAMS2*, Jennifer TOTH2…

The first name, middle initial and last name (surname, or family name with capital

letters) of each author should appear

1University of Western Australia, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, 35

Stirling Highway Crawley WA 6009, Perth, Australia; rsmith2000@yahoo.co.aus

2Curtin University of Technology, School of Public Health, Division of Health

Sciences, Selby Street, WA 6008, Shenton Park, Australia; pwilliams@gmail.com

(*corresponding author); jenniftoth@yahoo.co.aus

(The affiliation should be provided in the following order: university/institution name,

faculty/department name, city, country; email address of each co-author is obligatory. Please

fill in all contact data (including e-mail address and capital editing of the family name, in the

appropriate fields) when you submit online your article: ‘Step 3’ in the submission process -

http://www.notulaebotanicae.ro/index.php/nbha/about/submissions#onlineSubmissions,

‘Enter metadata’. All data in ‘Enter metadata’ fields and the manuscript have to be similar, for

all co-authors).

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Abstract

Individual organic acids and sugars were analysed in the fruits of scab resistant and

susceptible apple cultivars. The total sugars ranged between 128.2 and 191.6 g/kg, and the

total organic acid between… The abstract should be a concise, self-explanatory, including

only information presented in the paper, one-paragraph summation of the findings, without

citations, without abbreviations or footnotes. The abstract should count 200-250 words and

have a structured form, e.g. reflect structure of an article (background, material and

methods, results, conclusion). The paper will be written in an impersonal mode, past

tense.

Keywords: breeding, genotypes, scab resistance… (Five to seven key words in

alphabetical order separated with comma. Include all relevant scientific terms that are absent

from the title and abstract)

Abbreviations: only when necessary, in alphabetical order.

Introduction

Carbohydrates, organic acids and phenolic compounds are parameters of a fruits

quality and can be connected to other quality parameters such as its shape, colour and taste.

The balance between organic acids and sugars is very important in achieving a harmonized

taste for fruits (Hudina and Stampar, 2017; Dan et al., 2016)…

Harker et al. (2015), Chun (2016), Wolfe (2017) compared instrumental and sensory

measurements of apple taste and flavour…

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The phenolic composition of a plant tissue can determine the level of

susceptibility/tolerance to fungal infections and pests (Usenik, 2016).

Treutter (2013) found that total flavanol content in the skin of scab resistant varieties

was 3-fold higher than in susceptible varieties.

The most current research on antioxidant action focuses on phenolic compounds such

as flavonoids. They are the most common compounds in fruits and vegetables and have a

strong antioxidant capacity (Hertog et al., 2002; Powel and Davey, 2016)… Citations should

be listed in chronological order in the text and be separated by a semi-colon, e.g. Davey and

Pratt, 2014; Robson et al., 2015. Please edit ‘et al’ with italics (but not the mark and comma).

Generally, every statement in introduction must be accomplished by a citation and the authors

MUST give the background of the study; please use up to date references. The introduction

summarizes the relevant literature so that the reader will understand the necessity of this

study. The authors must explain why their study was necessary. At the end of the introduction

the authors must explain the aim of the study.

Materials and Methods

Biological material

(Organize your presentation so that readers will understand the logical flow of the

experiment(s); subheadings (italics, no bold) work well for this purpose, e.g. ‘Description of

the study site’; ‘Biological material’; ‘Experimental OR sampling design’; ‘Experimental

procedures OR Protocol for collecting data’; ‘Qualitative analysis AND/OR statistical

procedures’ etc.).

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The research has been carried out… For the experiment, fruits were taken from apple

trees grafted on M9 rootstocks, growing at a location in Ljubljana (Central Slovenia). Ten

trees of five scab resistant cultivars (‘Florina’, ‘Goldrush’, ‘Goldstar’, ‘Rubinola’ and

‘Topaz’) and four scab susceptible cultivars (‘Braeburn’, ‘Jonagold’, ‘Red Elstar’ and

‘Golden Delicious’) were used in the experiment. Twenty fruits were collected from each tree.

Because of the favourable weather conditions for apple scab development, the susceptible

cultivars were protected against this disease with fungicides, meanwhile the resistant cultivars

were not sprayed. Without the spraying of susceptible cultivars, the damage from apple scab

on the fruits would be severe and a comparison would be impossible… Give enough

information to indicate how the research was conducted. Well-known tests or procedures

should be cited, but not described in detail. Describe any controls and the statistical

procedures. Methods should be detailed enough to permit replication of the work. Avoid

names of brands or commercial products, instead state clearly the active ingredient, chemical

formula or purity.

Authors should create headings that are brief, and relevant, to break “Materials and

Methods” and “Results and Discussion” sections into parts which will guide readers through

the main points of their articles.

Mathematical equations should be typewritten, with subscripts and superscripts clearly

shown. The equation should be typed using the Times New Roman font and Symbols, with

Formula Editing, e.g.:

Spell out numbers one to ten, unless a measurement (e.g. four flowers, 5 g), but use 14

plots, 65 leaves, etc. Always use decimal points, not commas (0.4 not 0,4) and have a zero

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before a decimal point (0.5 not .5). Separate thousands with a comma (1,542 not 1 542, 1.542

or 1542).

In vitro is spelled Italics.

Use standard SI units and abbreviations, respectively international system of dates

(e.g.: s, min, h, d, µmol, m-2, µM, N, etc.), but use week, month, year, etc. in full text. Leave

a space between a value and its unit(s) (eg: 5.6 g, 16 m, 18.6 °C).

The scientific denominations (genus, species etc.) will be typed in italics. Names of

cultivars/varieties have to be included within single quotation ‘…’ (never double quotation

marks) e.g. Malus domestica cv. ‘Golden Delicious’. Ranks above genus (e.g. family, order,

class) receive one part names which are conventionally not written in italics.

Please note

- Use ‘.’ (not ‘,’) for decimal point: 0.6 ± 0.2; Use ‘,’ for thousands: 1,230.4.

- Use ‘-’ (not ‘–’) and without space: pp 27-36, 1998-2000, 4-6 min, 3-5 kg.

- Use spaces between value and measure unit/mathematical symbols: 5 h, 5 kg, 5 m, 5

°C, C : D = 0.6 ± 0.2;

p < 0.001.

- Without space: 55°, 5% (not 55 °, 5 %).

- Use ‘kg ha–1’ (not ‘kg/ha’).

- Use degree sign ‘°’, with space after the temperature value: 5 °C (not 5oC).

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Results and Discussion (OR, preferably, ‘Results’, and separately ‘Discussion’;

these sections may be divided into subsections, each with a concise subheading)

Subtitle one

Organic acids and sugars and their ratios, together with different aromatic compounds,

play important roles in the character and quality of the flavour and organoleptic properties of

apples. Malic and citric acid were detected in apple fruit cultivars. The fruits of different

cultivars contained much higher amounts of malic acid than citric acid (Table 1).…

Subtitle two

………. According to the dendrogram results produced by cluster analysis, cultivars

are separated to two main and three little groups (Fig. 1). ….

The ‘Discussion’ section should not contain a repeat of the results, but should explain

the meaning of the findings and places the results in the context of other studies and concepts.

There should be at least 30-40 reviews in order to compare the results with other researchers.

Please also explain how the results relate to previous findings, whether in support,

contradiction, or simply as added data. The references in this section should be up to date,

relevant for the study.

Please avoid citing inaccessible data; do not include unpublished data; provide

relevant, timely, and accessible through ordinary library or academic databases. Although you

may read some general background references, e.g. encyclopedias, books, manuals, etc. it is

recommended to cite articles from recognized research journals, which reported specific

results relevant to your study.

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Conclusions

State only conclusions that are directly supported by the evidence and the implications

of your findings, in one-paragraph. Conclusion section summarizes the results and major

findings; do not, however, include in the conclusion anything that has not been brought up in

the results and discussion components.

Acknowledgements

Quick thanks should be mention only to the fund providers or supporters. The

recommended form is: “This work was supported by the …, grant number xxx”.

If no specific funding was provided, use the following sentence: “This research

received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-

profit sectors.”

References (The references should be in alphabetical order with the journal name

unabbreviated, see model for article, books etc. All citations mentioned in the text must be

included in the ‘References’; also, all references listed must be mentioned in the text. At the

end of each reference, between the pages of articles cited, please use hyphen “-”, not dash!)

(Journal Articles)

Adler PT, Carter ZHT, Dougherty L, Stanley Z, Schacht R, Robert M, . . . Smyth RG

(2014). Nutrition facts and analysis for apple juice. Scientia Horticulture 24:134-141.

Chun OK (2016). Daily consumption of phenolics and total antioxidant capacity from

fruit and vegetables in the American diet. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis

85(2):1715-1724.

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Harker FR, Marsh KB, Young H, Murray SH, Gunson FA, Walker SB (2015).

Sensory interpretation of instrumental measurements: sweet and acid taste of apple fruit.

Postharvest Biology and Technology 24:241-250.

Hertog MGL, Hollman PCH, Katan MB (2002). Content of potentially

anticarcinogenic flavonoids in different vegetables and fruits commonly consumed in the

Netherlands. Plant Ecology 40:2379-2383.

Hudina M, Stampar F (2017). Sugars and organic acids contents of European (Pyrus

communis L.) and Asian (Pyrus serotina Rehd.) pear cultivars. Life Sciences 29:217-230.

Treutter D (2013). Biosynthesis of phenolic compounds and its regulation in apple.

Plant Growth Regulation 54(1):71-89.

Usenik V (2016). Flavonols of leaves in relation to apple scab resistance. Acta

Horticulture 69(2):217-230.

Wolfe K (2017). Antioxidant activity of apple peels. Biochemistry 91(3):609-614.

(When there are eight or more authors, include the first six authors’ names followed

by an ellipsis (. . .) and the final author’s name)

References in other languages than English:

Mozart A, Johannes SB (2014). Erfahrungen der Kursteilnehmerkrankenschwestern

[Experiences of the student nurse]. Krankenpflegejournal 10:100-120.

(For non-English publications, give the original title followed by its translation into

English in square brackets)

References with doi:

Bostok M (2015). Apple crop. In: Frank E (Ed). Organic apples.

doi:10.3218/7853/8922.666.261.

Miura A (2016). The effect of foliar fertilization on apple. Horticulture Review Papers

http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-0315-8.

Preece T, Student KJ, Lauer NH, Dovell D (2014). Comparative genome analysis

provides insights into the evolution and adaptation of Pseudomonas syringae on apple. PLoS

One 5(4), e10224.

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(Book)

Abbot MC (2014). Molecular cell biology. Academic Press (4th ed), San Diego.

Donovan B, Clarke P (2017). Apple breeding. London, Rutledge.

(Book Chapter)

Bolder AG (2004). Apples. In: Janick J, Moore JN (Eds). Advances in fruit breeding.

California Univ Press, West Lafayette, Indiana pp 3-37.

Smith S, Johnson T (2017). Health benefits of apple. In: Knippe J (Ed). Apple

production. Frenchs Press NSW Pearson Education Australia pp 198-240.

(Proceedings Paper)

Brandell CJ, Morris DA, Taylor PL (2000). Advances in watermelon fertility. In:

Moss JR, Stephen K, Seppard D (Eds). Proceedings of the Society for Horticultural Sciences

1999 Conference. Sydney: Springer pp 213-219.

Morris AJ, Hardy BK (2011). Organic and integrated fruit production systems. In:

Proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Genotype-Ecotype Relationships.

Springer, Dordrecht, Netherlands pp 112-134.

(Reports, web-sources)

Department of Agriculture (2016). German agricultural statistics for 2015. Germany

Dept Agr München. Retrieved 2017 February 12 from

http://www.germanyagriculture.gov/projects.

PCADPP (2016). Presidential Commission on Agricultural Development Public

Policy - The National Strategic Framework for sustainable development of the agro-

alimentary sector (in Romanian). Retrieved 2017 April 12 from

http://www.presidency.ro/static.pdf.

(Thesis or Dissertation)

Pall V (2016). Contributions to decision support systems for the evaluation and use of

agricultural lands. PhD Thesis, Corvinus Univ, Budapest.

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Trumann JD (2015). Optimization of tissue culture techniques and Agrobacterium

mediated transformation in wheat. MSc Dissertation, University of Edinburgh.

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Table 1. The content of citric and malic acid and sugar/ organic acid ratio of fresh fruits of different

apple cultivars

Cultivar Content, as mean ± S.E. (in g) Total sugars/organic acidsCitric acid Malic acid

‘Braeburn’ 0.125 ± 0.009 abc 8.59 ± 0.85 b 16.41 ± 1.35 c‘Jonagold’ 0.147 ± 0.024 abc 5.19 ± 0.23 c 24.15 ± 1.31 b‘Red Elstar’ 0.230 ± 0.021 ab 12.82 ± 0.64 a 12.31 ± 0.61 d‘Golden Delicious’ 0.239 ± 0.021 a 5.73 ± 0.26 c 23.45 ± 0.95 b‘Florina’ 0.106 ± 0.012 bc 5.02 ± 0.33 c 28.88 ± 1.28 a‘Goldrush’ 0.049 ± 0.014 c 13.33 ± 1.10 a 13.42 ± 0.94 cd‘Goldstar’ 0.216 ± 0.017 ab 13.06 ± 0.49 a 14.45 ± 0.44 cd‘Rubinola’ 0.112 ± 0.020 abc 7.05 ± 0.22b c 21.27 ± 0.78 b‘Topaz’ 0.209 ± 0.026 ab 12.05 ± 0.91 a 13.61 ± 0.68 cdCultivars susceptible for apple scab A A A

Cultivars resistant for apple scab A A A

Note: Different letters between cultivars denote significant differences (Duncan test, p < 0.05).

Different letters between susceptible and resistant cultivars denote significant differences (LSD test,

p < 0.05).

Data presented in tables should not be duplicated in figures.

Identify all tables, graphs, drawings and photographs with consecutive Arabic

numerals (e.g., Fig. 1, 2, or 3; also for tables - Table 1, Table 2, etc.). For each table and

figure please supply a caption (title), informative but not very long.

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Fig. 1. Dendogram obtained by cluster analysis on the initial data…

Figures and/or photographs must be clear, with sharp focus and good density.

Minimum size accepted for figures is 300 dpi.

Captions with table numbers must be placed before their associated tables. Citation of

a table in the text is done as: Table 1, Tables 1 and 2, Tables 1, 2, 3. Avoid very large,

complex Tables. Plan each table so that as much information as possible is in a clear, succinct

caption. The legend must include all explanatory data, written justified.

Captions with figure numbers must be placed after their associated figures. Citation of

a figure in the text is done as: Fig. 1…. , Figs. 1 and 2, Figs. 1, 2, 3. If figures are grouped

(e.g., several photographs or graphs, histograms etc., label each panel as A, B, C etc.), give a

general title and describe each panel (A, B etc.) separately in the legend.

Make sure tables and figures’ legends contain the necessary information so that a

person can understand all data (each table or figure should be self-explanatory).

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