2.5 freeze dryer

In every experimental year, fruits were collected at a similar time: 7 July 2015; 8 July 2016; 7 July 2017 and 9 July 2018. For fruit collecting, 3 of 12 trees from each cultivar were chosen. From one tree, 2 kg of fully ripens fruits were obtained. The scheme of fruits collecting was representative for combination and cultivars. We point attention to collect fruits from every place on the tree (up, down, inside and outside part of the crown). After collecting, samples were transported from orchards to the laboratory in cooling polystyrene boxes. In the laboratory, fruits were cut and pitted and prepared to dry matter measurement as well as freeze-dried. Each sample was divided into two parts. The first part was used for dry matter evaluation, and the second part was freeze-dried using a Labconco (2.5) freeze-dryer (Warsaw, Poland, −40 °C, pressure 0.100 mBa). After freeze-drying, the plant material was ground in a laboratory mill (A-11). The ground samples were then stored at -80 °C until the end of the analysis in every experimental year.

Inflorescences, similar to leaves of both species, were gently divided into single flowers. From each tree, 200–300 individual flowers and 50 leaves were collected. Each tree was treated as a single replication. The fresh weight of the samples was between 250 and 350 g per tree for flowers and 150–170 g per tree for leaves. Each species samples were divided into two parts. The first part was used for dry matter evaluation, and the second part was freeze-dried using a Labconco (2.5) freeze-dryer (Warsaw, Poland, −40 °C, pressure 0.100 mbar). After the freeze-drying process, the experimental material was ground in a laboratory mill (A-11). Then, the ground samples were stored at −80 °C in small scyntylic tubes.