Multiple season-long sprays of ethephon or NAA combined with calcium chloride on Honeycrisp: II. Effect on fruit mineral concentrations and incidence of bitter pit

When 45Ca-labelled calcium chloride solution was applied to the skin of young developing Merton apple fruits, activity in the cortex at maturity was highest in the calyx end region where bitter pit lesions most commonly develop. Fruit age at time of application affected the amount of labelled calcium absorbed but not its longitudinal distribution. Following branch injection of labelled calcium chloride solution 8 weeks before harvest, activity in mature fruits was found mostly in the stem end. Leaves and buds accounted for 95% of the recovered activity, and the fruits for 5%, of which about one-quarter was in the calyx half. The same distribution pattern was found following injection of labelled calcium chloride solution into the fruit stem. The concentration of naturally occurring calcium in the cortex of the mature fruit declined steadily from stem end to calyx end. On the other hand, the magnesium concentration was lowest near the stem end and highest at the calyx end. The potassium concentration remained fairly constant along most of the length of the fruit, with a small increase at each end. The findings are discussed with regard to the longitudinal gradient in bitter pit susceptibility within apple fruits, and to the relative effectiveness of tree sprays of calcium, as compared with soil applications, in the control of the disorder. Results suggest that calcium does not have a trace element role in the control of bitter pit.

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Effect of the number of calcium chloride sprays on 'Jonagold' apple quality

Acta Agrobotanica ◽

10.5586/aa.1999.009 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 52 (1-2) ◽

pp. 85-94 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Paweł Wójcik

Keyword(s):

Calcium Chloride ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Titratable Acidity ◽

Growing Season ◽

Soluble Solids ◽

Available Phosphorus ◽

Full Bloom ◽

Bitter Pit ◽

One Year ◽

Experimental Treatments

The aim of this study was to examine effect of frequency of calcium chloride (CaCl2) sprays on 'Jonagold' apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) quality. The experiment was carried out in 1996-1998 in the Experimental Orchard of the Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture in Skierniewice. Apple trees were grafied on M.26 rootstock and planted in 1992 at a distance of 4 x 2 m on a sandy loam soil with high available phosphorus, potassium and magnesium contents. Four experimental treatments were applied: (i) three sprays with CaCl2 solutions at 2, 10 and 18 weeks after full bloom, (ii) six sprays with CaCl2 at 2, 6, 10, 14, 16 and 18 weeks after full bloom, (iii) nine sprays with CaCl2 at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 weeks after full bloom and (iv) control plot - trees unsprayed with CaCl2. The results showed that fruit Ca concentration increased with the number of CaCl2 sprays during the growing season. Apples nine-times sprayed with CaCl2 solutions were smaller, less mature at harvest and after storage, had lower titratable acidity and soluble solids contents after storage and were less sensitive to bitter pit, internal breakdown and Gloeosporium-rot compared to other treatments; however these effects were influenced by the growing season. Six CaCl2 sprays only in one year of the study increased fruit firmness after storage, fruit resistance to bitter pit and internal breakdown. Three CaCl2 sprays decreased bitter pit incidence; however this effect was found only in one investigated year.

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Managing Bitter Pit in ‘Honeycrisp’ Apples Grown in the Mid-Atlantic United States with Foliar-applied Calcium Chloride and Some Alternatives

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.25.3.385 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 385-391 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Alan R. Biggs ◽

Gregory M. Peck

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Calcium Chloride ◽

Future Study ◽

High Rate ◽

Chloride Salt ◽

Physiological Disorder ◽

Total Percentage ◽

Bitter Pit ◽

Honeycrisp Apples ◽

Negative Impacts

Three separate experiments were conducted to test standard calcium chloride salt (CaCl2) rates and several new formulations of calcium (Ca) for amelioration of bitter pit, a Ca-related physiological disorder that affects fruit of many apple (Malus ×domestica) cultivars, including the popular cultivar Honeycrisp. Even small amounts of bitter pit damage make apples unmarketable. We evaluated various formulations of Ca to compare their effectiveness in controlling bitter pit, including proprietary Ca products (InCa™, Sysstem-Cal™, Vigor-Cal™, XD10, and XD505) with and without antitranspirant. Calcium chloride is the most common Ca product used to reduce bitter pit incidence, but it has negative impacts, such as phytotoxicity and corrosiveness. Of the products that were tested in 2011, XD10 at the high rate and XD505 are candidates for future study. In 2012, both the CaCl2 and XD10 treatments had lower bitter pit severity than the nontreated control, but only the CaCl2 treatments had a lower total percentage of fruit with bitter pit compared with the control. The antitranspirant reduced bitter pit incidence in one of three treatments. Full season Ca treatments and higher rates (up to 23.5 lb/acre per season of elemental Ca) are needed to significantly reduce bitter pit incidence in ‘Honeycrisp’ apples in the mid-Atlantic United States.

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Effects of vacuum and pressure infiltration of calcium chloride and storage temperature on the incidence of bitter pit and low temperature breakdown of apples

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1071/ar9790917 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 30 (5) ◽

pp. 917 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

KJ Scott ◽

RBH Wills

Keyword(s):

Low Temperature ◽

Calcium Chloride ◽

Storage Temperature ◽

Calcium Nitrate ◽

Commercial Development ◽

Internal Damage ◽

Pressure Infiltration ◽

Post Harvest ◽

Bitter Pit ◽

Lower Temperature

Post-harvest treatment of apples with calcium chloride markedly reduced bitter pit and breakdown in several cultivars during three seasons in Australia and New Zealand. Infiltration of calcium chloride at pressures above or below atmospheric pressure improved the control over that obtained by simple immersion of the fruit in the calcium chloride solution, and was effective in the absence of the usual field sprays of calcium nitrate. These new treatments retained much of their effectiveness when the fruit were afterwards rinsed with water to reduce the risk of injury to the fruit or the grading equipment. The treatments were effective whether the fruit had open or closed calyces, but there were problems of excessive uptake and internal damage with some fruit having an open calyx. Commercial development of the process for closed calyx varieties such as Cox's Orange Pippin or Granny Smith is in progress. For the 3–4 month period required for export, the use of a lower temperature (0° instead of 3°C) improved the control of bitter pit, and a post-harvest calcium treatment reduced the incidence of low temperature breakdown.

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Application of CaCl2 Sprays Earlier in the Season May Reduce Bitter Pit Incidence in 'Braeburn' Apple

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.40.6.1850 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 40 (6) ◽

pp. 1850-1853 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Gerry Neilsen ◽

Denise Neilsen ◽

Shufu Dong ◽

Peter Toivonen ◽

Frank Peryea

Keyword(s):

Calcium Carbonate ◽

Calcium Chloride ◽

Growing Season ◽

Early Application ◽

Early Season ◽

Late Season ◽

Soil Calcium ◽

Bitter Pit ◽

History Of ◽

Spray Regimes

Calcium application trials were undertaken in a 'Braeburn' apple (Malus ×domestica Borkh.) orchard with a history of bitter pit development at harvest. In 2000, an early season calcium chloride application strategy was compared with the unsprayed control and a late season application strategy. From 2001–03, the assessment of timing of calcium chloride sprays was extended by comparing effects of five weekly sprays applied during the growing season either early, middle, or late season. Other Ca application strategies tested included sprays of acidified calcium carbonate suspensions and soil application of calcium thiosulphate. In the first experiment, early application of calcium chloride reduced the occurrence of bitter pit at harvest and after 3 months cold air storage, despite having low harvest fruit Ca concentrations. Late sprayed fruit had a higher incidence of bitter pit. In the second experiment, the later calcium chloride was sprayed in the growing season, the higher the fruit Ca concentration at harvest. Despite this, no bitter pit was measured at harvest for 2 years for early and midseason calcium chloride spray regimes. In 2003, when Ca disorders were severe and fruit large, bitter pit was observed despite early season calcium chloride sprays. Soil calcium thiosulphate application and foliar sprays of acidified calcium carbonate suspensions failed to meaningfully augment harvest fruit Ca concentrations and affect bitter pit incidence.

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Beyond-root calcium fertilization of apple trees

Acta Agrobotanica ◽

10.5586/aa.1985.010 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

pp. 115-122

Author(s):

Kazimierz Słowik ◽

Dariusz Świetlik

Keyword(s):

Calcium Chloride ◽

Apple Tree ◽

Calcium Nitrate ◽

Calcium Content ◽

Apple Trees ◽

Fruit Flesh ◽

Bitter Pit ◽

Calcium Fertilization

Investigations were performed in the period 1977-1979 on the apple tree cultivar 'Fantazja', on rootstock A 2, M 7 and MM 106 on the effect of spraying with solution containing calcium on the incidence of bitter pit, breakdown, calcium content in the fruit flesh and other features of the fruits. Threefold spraying with calcium nitrate, calcium chloride or Anti-Stipp significantly limited the appearance of bitter pit and breakdown.

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Crop Load Affects Mineral Concentrations and Incidence of Bitter Pit in `Cox's Orange Pippin' Apple Fruit

Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science ◽

10.21273/jashs.117.3.373 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 117 (3) ◽

pp. 373-376 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

I.B. Ferguson ◽

C.B. Watkins

Keyword(s):

Inverse Relationship ◽

Fruit Size ◽

Apple Fruit ◽

Postharvest Storage ◽

Crop Load ◽

Fruit Maturity ◽

Bitter Pit ◽

Mineral Concentrations ◽

Storage Disorders

Apple fruit (Malus domestics Borkh. cv. Cox's Orange Pippin) were harvested in four orchards from trees growing under the same conditions but differing in crop load. Regardless of fruit size, apples from light-cropping trees had lower Ca and higher K concentrations and more bitter pit than did fruit from trees with heavy crop loads. The inverse relationship between Ca concentration in the fruit and the incidence of bitter pit also varied according to crop load and could affect the ability to predict incidence of bitter pit from Ca measurements. Differences in fruit maturity that would influence bitter pit incidence were not associated with crop load. The enhanced susceptibility to storage disorders, such as bitter pit, in fruit of all sizes from light-cropping trees suggests the need to handle fruit from such trees differently for postharvest storage.

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Effects of water rinses after calcium chloride dips, with and without additives, on the control of bitter pit of apples

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1071/ar9850305 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 36 (2) ◽

pp. 305 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

KJ Scott ◽

J O'Loughlin ◽

B England ◽

EA Roberts

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Ambient Temperature ◽

Calcium Chloride ◽

Calcium Content ◽

Wetting Agent ◽

Chloride Solutions ◽

Bitter Pit ◽

Golden Delicious ◽

Water Rinse

Studies on the control of bitter pit in apples after harvest were conducted during two seasons in Tasmania and New Zealand. The cultivars, Cox's Orange Pippin, Sturmer Pippin, Golden Delicious, Delicious and Cleopatra, which are susceptible to bitter pit on overseas markets, were examined. Bitter pit was reduced and calcium content of the fruit increased, by dipping the fruit in calcium chloride solutions (1-3% w/v). The addition of diphenylamine or the non-ionic wetting agent, Agral 60 (ICI Australia), had little effect on the control of bitter pit or on the calcium content of the treated fruit. Rinsing in water even 1 or 2 days after dipping did not significantly increase the incidence of bitter pit or lower the calcium content of the fruit. There was no difference in the incidence of bitter pit between fruit stored at ambient temperature (15-20�C) or at 3-5�C during the interval between dipping and rinsing. Dipping apples in calcium chloride followed, after 1 or more days, by a water rinse may be suitable commercially for reducing bitter pit in a number of cultivars.

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