RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TOTAL AND CELL WALL BOUND CALCIUM IN APPLES FOLLOWING POSTHARVEST PRESSURE INFILTRATION OF CALCIUM CHLORIDE

Pressure infiltration of 2 or 4% CaCl₂ solutions into ‘Golden Delicious’ apples at harvest increased both the total and cell wall bound calcium of the fruit when compared to fruit infiltrated with distilled water.
As the calcium concentration in the fruit increased, fruit firmness was better maintained.
When comparing fruit treated with the 2% CaCl₂ solution with the distilled water treated fruit, there were significant increases in both total and bound calcium.
However, when comparing the fruit treated with the 2% CaCl₂ solution with those treated with 4% CaCl₂, there was a more significant percent increase in the total calcium than in the cell wall bound calcium.
These results suggest that the calcium binding sites in the cell walls of ‘Golden Delicious’ apples may be saturated with the calcium available in the 2% solution.
Further increasing the concentration of the CaCl₂ solution results in a greater increase in total calcium but a significantly lower increase in cell wall bound calcium and may result in injury to the fruit.

Postharvest Physiology of Fruits

W.S. Conway, C.E. Sams, A.E. Watada

CaCl₂, Malus domestica, postharvest, pressure infiltration

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1995.398.3