Articles
The effect of calcium treatment on the pre- and postharvest quality characteristics of apple fruits during normal air-cooled storage
Article number
1396_65
Pages
487 – 494
Language
English
Abstract
Calcium is considered to be one of the most important elements for maintaining postharvest quality of fruits.
The effect of calcium does not only have influence on apple and pear fruits, but also on a variety of other fresh horticulture crops where a calcium deficiency during development causes significant economic losses.
This study was conducted with the objectives of determining the influence of calcium using foliar preharvest application, on yield, fruit quality parameters, and weight loss of four economically significant apple cultivars: Golden Reinders, Idared, Watson Jonathan, and Jonica during normal air-cooled storage.
The study was carried out in the Experimental Farm of the Institute of Horticultural Science of the MATE in Soroksár, Hungary, from June 2020 to April 2021. The fruits were harvested at the commercial maturity stage and stored for a duration of six months at a temperature of 1-4°C under normal air-cooled atmospheric conditions.
Classical and instrumental analytical tests were measured at the Fruit Science Department of MATE immediately after harvest and again after six months of cold storage.
Following fruit quality parameters, such as fruit size (height and width) and weight, fruit flesh firmness, total sugar content (°Brix), titratable acidity, and maturity index, were observed.
Our results confirmed that calcium treatments have a positive effect on yield and fruit quality during storage.
The findings showed significant differences in weight loss of most apple fruit cultivars; however, the effect on weight loss of Jonica untreated, was higher compared to the same treated cultivar with calcium and compared to other cultivars such as Golden Reinders, Idared, and Watson Jonathan. It was also found that treated Idared and Golden Reinders presented fruits with higher firmness compared to untreated ones.
There was also a significant difference between the cultivars in the case of several examined parameters.
The effect of calcium does not only have influence on apple and pear fruits, but also on a variety of other fresh horticulture crops where a calcium deficiency during development causes significant economic losses.
This study was conducted with the objectives of determining the influence of calcium using foliar preharvest application, on yield, fruit quality parameters, and weight loss of four economically significant apple cultivars: Golden Reinders, Idared, Watson Jonathan, and Jonica during normal air-cooled storage.
The study was carried out in the Experimental Farm of the Institute of Horticultural Science of the MATE in Soroksár, Hungary, from June 2020 to April 2021. The fruits were harvested at the commercial maturity stage and stored for a duration of six months at a temperature of 1-4°C under normal air-cooled atmospheric conditions.
Classical and instrumental analytical tests were measured at the Fruit Science Department of MATE immediately after harvest and again after six months of cold storage.
Following fruit quality parameters, such as fruit size (height and width) and weight, fruit flesh firmness, total sugar content (°Brix), titratable acidity, and maturity index, were observed.
Our results confirmed that calcium treatments have a positive effect on yield and fruit quality during storage.
The findings showed significant differences in weight loss of most apple fruit cultivars; however, the effect on weight loss of Jonica untreated, was higher compared to the same treated cultivar with calcium and compared to other cultivars such as Golden Reinders, Idared, and Watson Jonathan. It was also found that treated Idared and Golden Reinders presented fruits with higher firmness compared to untreated ones.
There was also a significant difference between the cultivars in the case of several examined parameters.
Authors
Sh. Mehmeti, G. Ficzek, B. Bresilla, S. Gergely
Keywords
apple, fruits, calcium, normal air-cooled storage, postharvest, weight loss
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