Start-Timing for Calcium Chloride Spray Programs Influences Fruit Calcium and Bitter Pit in ‘Braeburn’ and ‘Honeycrisp’ Apples

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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Multiple season-long sprays of ethephon or NAA combined with calcium chloride on ‘Honeycrisp’ apples: I. Effect on bloom and fruit quality attributes

Canadian Journal of Plant Science ◽

10.1139/cjps-2018-0196 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 99 (4) ◽

pp. 444-459

Author(s):

John A. Cline

Keyword(s):

Calcium Chloride ◽

Fruit Quality ◽

Quality Attributes ◽

Naphthaleneacetic Acid ◽

Fruit Firmness ◽

Biennial Bearing ◽

Fruit Drop ◽

Fruit Maturity ◽

Return Bloom ◽

Honeycrisp Apples

‘Honeycrisp’ apple trees are highly prone to biennial bearing and predisposed to bitter pit. The hypothesis that tank mix sprays of ethephon (ETH), naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), and 1-aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid (ACC) combined with calcium chloride (CaCl2) can mitigate these production problems was tested in a 3-yr study. Mature ‘Honeycrisp’ trees were treated with either three or six summer applications of 150 mg L−1 ETH or 5 mg L−1 NAA, all tank-mixed with and without CaCl2, or two or five applications of 150 mg L−1 ACC (without CaCl2). Treatments were applied at 10-d intervals and initiated between 21 and 26 June. All treatments had little effect on enhancing return bloom of ‘Honeycrisp’. NAA, ETH, and CaCl2 all influenced fruit maturity and quality at harvest to varying degrees and across years. Fruit treated with NAA were firmer compared with untreated fruit in 2 out of 3 yr, whereas overall, fruit treated with six sprays of ETH had lower fruit firmness and were more mature. NAA had less influence on fruit quality attributes at harvest than did ETH, and decreased pre-harvest fruit drop (PFD). PFD increased with ETH in 1 out of 2 yr, whereas ACC and NAA both decreased PFD in 1 out of 2 yr. Overall, ETH and NAA, with or without CaCl2, had significant but inconsistent effects on fruit quality and maturity, all dependent on the year and number of applications. Adding CaCl2 decreased fruit firmness in 2 out of 3 yr.

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Storage temperature, diphenylamine, and pre-storage delay effects on soft scald, soggy breakdown and bitter pit of ‘Honeycrisp’ apples

Postharvest Biology and Technology ◽

10.1016/j.postharvbio.2003.11.003 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 213-221 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Christopher B Watkins ◽

Jacqueline F Nock ◽

Sarah A Weis ◽

Sastry Jayanty ◽

Randolph M Beaudry

Keyword(s):

Storage Temperature ◽

Delay Effects ◽

Bitter Pit ◽

Honeycrisp Apples ◽

Soft Scald

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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

Scientia Horticulturae ◽

10.1016/j.scienta.2018.11.092 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 247 ◽

pp. 96-100 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

John A. Cline

Keyword(s):

Calcium Chloride ◽

Bitter Pit ◽

Mineral Concentrations

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Longitudinal distribution of applied calcium, and of naturally occurring calcium, magnesium, and potassium, in Merton apple fruits

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1071/ar9730363 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 363 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

TL Lewis ◽

D Martin

Keyword(s):

Calcium Chloride ◽

Chloride Solution ◽

Relative Effectiveness ◽

Calcium Chloride Solution ◽

Magnesium Concentration ◽

Longitudinal Distribution ◽

Time Of Application ◽

Naturally Occurring ◽

Bitter Pit ◽

Apple Fruits

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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Bitter pit and soft scald development during storage of unconditioned and conditioned ‘Honeycrisp’ apples in relation to mineral contents and harvest indices

Postharvest Biology and Technology ◽

10.1016/j.postharvbio.2019.111044 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 160 ◽

pp. 111044 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yosef Al Shoffe ◽

Jacqueline F. Nock ◽

Tara Auxt Baugher ◽

Richard P. Marini ◽

Christopher B. Watkins

Keyword(s):

Mineral Contents ◽

Bitter Pit ◽

Honeycrisp Apples ◽

Soft Scald

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Robustness of near infrared spectroscopy based spectral features for non-destructive bitter pit detection in honeycrisp apples

Postharvest Biology and Technology ◽

10.1016/j.postharvbio.2016.06.013 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 120 ◽

pp. 188-192 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Gopi Krishna Kafle ◽

Lav R. Khot ◽

Sanaz Jarolmasjed ◽

Si Yongsheng ◽

Karen Lewis

Keyword(s):

Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Spectral Features ◽

Bitter Pit ◽

Honeycrisp Apples ◽

Non Destructive

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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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Responses of ‘Honeycrisp’ Apples to Short-term Controlled Atmosphere Storage Established During Temperature Conditioning

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci14182-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 54 (9) ◽

pp. 1532-1539 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Corina Serban ◽

Lee Kalcsits ◽

Jennifer DeEll ◽

James P. Mattheis

Keyword(s):

Chilling Injury ◽

Titratable Acidity ◽

Soluble Solids ◽

Controlled Atmosphere ◽

Physiological Disorder ◽

Ethylene Concentration ◽

Bitter Pit ◽

Honeycrisp Apples ◽

Cavity Development ◽

Postharvest Management

‘Honeycrisp’ apples are susceptible to bitter pit, a physiological disorder that impacts peel and adjacent cortex tissue. ‘Honeycrisp’ is also susceptible to chilling injury (CI) that can be prevented by holding fruit at 10 to 20 °C after harvest for up to 7 days. This temperature conditioning period reduces CI risk but can enhance bitter pit development. Previous research demonstrated a controlled atmosphere (CA) established during conditioning can reduce ‘Honeycrisp’ bitter pit development without inducing other physiological disorders. The objective of this research was to evaluate the duration of CA needed to reduce bitter pit development. Experiments were conducted in 2014, 2016, and 2017 with fruit obtained from commercial orchards in Washington State and, in 2017 only, Ontario, Canada. Half the fruit were treated with 42 µmol·L−1 1-methycyclopropene (1-MCP) for 24 hours at 10 °C immediately following harvest. The untreated fruit were held at the same temperature (10 °C) in a different cold room. Following 1-MCP treatment, all fruit were conditioned at 10 °C for an additional 6 days, then fruit was cooled to 2.8 °C. During conditioning, fruit were held in air or CA (2.5 kPa O2, 0.5 kPa CO2) established 1 day after harvest, for 1 to 8 weeks, then in air. All fruit were removed from cold storage after 4 months and then held 7 days at 20 °C. Fruit from most orchards/years stored in CA developed less bitter pit compared with fruit stored continuously in air. CA during conditioning also reduced poststorage peel greasiness but CA for 2 weeks or longer enhanced cortex cavity development in some orchard lots. Treatment with 1-MCP did not reduce bitter pit but enhanced development of peel leather blotch and core browning for some orchards/years. 1-MCP–treated fruit slowed the loss of soluble solids content, titratable acidity, and reduced internal ethylene concentration. Results suggest the potential for postharvest management of bitter pit development in ‘Honeycrisp’ apples by CA established during conditioning with minimal development of other postharvest disorders.

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