scholarly journals Postharvest Application of Chelated and Nonchelated Calcium Dip Treatments to Commercially Grown Honey Dew Melons: Effects on Peel Attributes, Tissue Calcium Concentration, Quality, and Consumer Preference following Storage

2001 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 561-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gene E. Lester ◽  
Michael A. Grusak

Commercially grown honey dew fruit [Cucumis melo (Inodorus group)] typically are harvested before abscission because fruit cut unripe have a longer storage life than fully ripe fruit. However, because fully ripe fruit contain higher concentrations of soluble solids (predominantly as sugars), an attribute that increases their preference among consumers, methods are being explored to extend the storage life of fully ripe fruit. In this study, fully abscised honey dew fruit were evaluated for tissue attributes and consumer preference following postharvest dipping in either chelated or nonchelated calcium (Ca) solutions. Calcium sources were an amino acid-chelated Ca, ethylene-diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA)-chelated Ca, or calcium chloride (CaCl2), with each provided at three different rates. Fruit were evaluated at harvest, and after 14 or 22 days commercial storage. Evaluations were peel surface changes (color and disorders), hypodermal-mesocarp tissue Ca concentration, flesh firmness, soluble solids concentration, and consumer preference of the edible flesh. Peel color became yellowed and lighter during storage for all fruit, with higher Ca rates resulting in more intensely yellowed fruit. Hypodermal-mesocarp tissue Ca concentration was 0.90 mg·g-1 of fresh weight (900 ppm) at harvest, and declined in all fruit by 22 days storage. Peel disorders (disease and spotting) were none to slight for all fruit by 14 days storage, but by 22 days storage disease incidence ranged from none to severe, depending on the Ca source and rate. Fruit firmness declined in all fruit throughout storage, with the smallest declines measured in fruit treated with the amino acid-chelated Ca. Soluble solids concentration of fully ripe fruit was 12.3% at harvest, and showed either no decline or slight declines with storage among the treatments. Consumer preference was highest for freshly harvested fruit, but fruit were desirable even after 22 days storage across all treatments. Postharvest application of Ca at ≤0.16 m Ca in an amino acid-chelated form, versus EDTA-chelated Ca or CaCl2, slowed honey dew melon senescence so that after 22 days of commercial and retail storage the fruit were of high marketable quality, and there was no detrimental effect on consumer preference for the edible flesh.

HortScience ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 737f-737
Author(s):  
P. Perkins-Veazie ◽  
J.K. Collins ◽  
J.R. Clark

The storage life of blackberry fruit is generally `2 to 3 days when stored at 1C. This study was done to determine the maximum storage life among erect blackberry cultivars, and to determine storage temperature effects on storage life. Shiny black fruit from `Navaho', `Arapaho', and `Shawnee' cultivars were stored at 2C, 5C, or 10C for 20, 14, and 7 days, respectively. At any temperature. only 10-20% of `Navaho' fruit had decay, while 30-50% of `Arapaho' and 40-70% of `Shawnee' fruit had decay. Weight loss was 3-5% depending on temperature and was not different among cultivars. Soluble solids concentration did not change during storage but titratable acidity decreased in all cultivars for fruit held at all temperatures. Anthocyanin content increased during storage in `Shawnee' and `Navaho' but not in `Arapaho' fruit. Results indicate that `Navaho' fruit have a longer shelflife than other blackberry cultivars.


HortScience ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 599a-599
Author(s):  
Roisin McGarry ◽  
Jocelyn A. Ozga ◽  
Dennis M. Reinecke

Ethephon was applied in two consecutive years to saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.) shrubs (`Northline' and `Smoky') to determine its effects on synchronizing fruit ripening. Ripeness can be visually assessed by color (green = immature; red = mature, not ripe; purple = mature, fully ripe). Ethephon (applied when fruit were ≈ 70% red) at 250, 500, and 1000 ppm increased the percentage of ripe fruit obtained from `Northline' by 2%, 4%, and 6%, respectively. Due to pronounced seasonal yield differences for `Smoky', ethephon had no effect on the percentage of ripe fruit obtained in 1994. However, in 1995, ethephon (applied at 70% red fruit stage) at 500 and 1000 ppm increased the percentage of ripe fruit obtained from `Smoky' by 4% and 2%, respectively. Fruit quality, evaluated with respect to surface color development, flesh firmness, fruit size, soluble solids concentration, titratable acidity, and the soluble solids: titratable acids ratio, was not significantly affected by ethephon treatments. This work was supported in part by AARI-FFF grant no. 940442.


HortScience ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim I. Tahir ◽  
Hilde Nybom

A series of pre- and post-harvest experiments were conducted to enhance apple tree productivity and improve fruit quality and storage life by altering production system and post-harvest treatments in an organic orchard. Increasing the light distribution and carbohydrate uptake (summer pruning and covering the orchard ground with reflective textile) improved tree productivity, fruit color, content of anthocyanin, ascorbic acid, and total phenolic compounds and reduced incidence of fungal storage diseases. Optimal harvesting time could be determined from the starch index in some cultivars, whereas the Streif index [firmness (soluble solids concentration × starch hydrolysis score)−1] was more accurate for other cultivars. In yet others, titratable acidity and flesh firmness also produced important information. By contrast, soluble solids concentration and skin color are not useful as a result of their sensitivity to weather conditions and light intensity. Post-harvest fruit treatment with hot water (46 °C for 120 seconds) decreased fungal decay during storage in two cultivars, whereas spraying the fruit with 10% ethanol decreased fungal decay in all investigated cultivars. Optimization of storage conditions [cultivar-specific controlled atmosphere (CA) and ultra-low oxygen (ULO) storage procedures] maintained fruit quality and reduced the amount of fungal decay.


2004 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gene E. Lester ◽  
Michael A. Grusak

Commercially grown honeydew fruit (Cucumis melo Inodorus group) and netted cantaloupe fruit (C. melo Reticulatus group) in low-humidity regions of the U.S. are typically field packed, eliminating the possibility for postharvest chelated-calcium dip treatments to extend fruit shelf life. In this study, calcium treatments were applied to orange-flesh honeydew fruit commercially grown in 2001 and 2002 in Sacramento Valley, Calif. and orange-fleshed netted cantaloupe fruit commercially grown in 2002 in Imperial Valley, Calif., and Rio Grande Valley, Texas. Aminoacid-chelated calcium and mannitol-complexed calcium compounds were applied to field-grown plants at the rate of 2.3 L·ha-1 (1 qt/acre) at 0, 1, 2, or 4 total applications during growth of honeydew and cantaloupe fruit. Applications were A) at female flowering, B) within 15 days (cantaloupe) or 20 days (honeydew) after flowering, C) within 30 days (cantaloupe) or 40 days (honeydew) after female flowering, and/or D) within 3 to 5 days before abscission. One application equaled (A) or (D), two applications equaled (A + B) or (C + D) and four applications equaled (A + B + C + D). Evaluations of fully abscised fruit were exterior and interior firmness, marketability, calcium concentrations, interior soluble solids concentration (sugars), and consumer preference (taste) following harvest and up to 3 weeks commercial/retail storage. Cantaloupe fruit at both locations did not appear to benefit from preharvest plant applications of calcium when compared to fruit from plants treated with water. Honeydew fruit, however, did and the benefit was observed both years. Honeydew fruit that received four preharvest plant applications of calcium, regardless of source, were generally superior in firmness, marketability, and had a higher calcium concentration than fruit from plants receiving water or one or two applications of calcium. Fruit sugars and taste were not affected by preharvest plant applications of calcium.


HortScience ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.R. Miller ◽  
R.E. McDonald ◽  
G. Hallman ◽  
J.L. Sharp

Experimental vapor heat (VH) tests [43.5C for 5 hours, 1009” relative humidity (RH)] were conducted to determine treatment effects to freshly harvested Florida grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.). VH treatment reduced peel pitting 5-fold compared to control fruit after 5 weeks of storage (4 weeks at 10C + 1 week at 21C) and did not cause peel discoloration or rind breakdown. There was no difference in volume between treated and nontreated fruit after 1 week of storage or in weight loss after 5 weeks. Also, peel color, total soluble solids concentration, acidity, and pH were not affected by VH treatment. Fruit were slightly less firm after VH treatment and remained less firm throughout storage, compared with control fruit. The VH treatment tested is a potentially viable alternative quarantine treatment for control of the Caribbean fruit fly [Anastrepha suspensa (Loew)] because it is not phytotoxic to grapefruit and has been reported effective for disinfestation of this pest in grapefruit.


HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 594e-594
Author(s):  
Charles J. Graham

Research is needed to better understand the influence of cell volume and fertility on watermelon transplant size and field performance in order to determine the most economic production practices. `Jubilee' watermelon transplants were grown using a 4 x 4 factorial experimental design consisting of 4 cell volumes (30.7, 65.5, 147.5, and 349.6 cm3) and 4 fertility rates (0, 1/4, 1/2, and full-strength Hoagland's solution). Transplant shoot dry weight significantly increased as cell volume and fertility increased. Increasing cell volume linearly increased watermelon number/ha and tons/ha for early and total harvest in 1995. The average weight per watermelon significantly increased for early-harvested fruit but not for total harvest as cell volume increased in 1995. Soluble solids concentration linearly increased with increasing cell volume for early and total harvests in 1995. Cell volume had no significant influence on the harvest parameters measured in 1997. In 1995, increasing fertility linearly increased watermelon number/ha and tons/ha for early harvests. Increasing fertility increased the soluble solids concentration linearly for early-harvested watermelons in 1997 but not in 1995. Fertility rate had no significant influence on any of the other harvest parameters measured in 1995 and 1997. The growing conditions and disease pressure in 1997 reduced melons/ha, yield, and soluble solids content when compared to 1995 values. The half-strength Hoagland's solution produced the greatest number of watermelons/ha, tons/ha, and the highest soluble solids concentration in 1995 and 1997. Pretransplant nutritional conditioning had no significant effect on total `Jubilee' watermelon production in Louisiana for 1995 and 1997.


1990 ◽  
Vol 115 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua D. Klein ◽  
Susan Lurie

The benefits conferred by a prestorage heat treatment on poststorage quality of apples (Malus domestics Borkh.) were measured on `Anna', a non-storing early cultivar, and `Granny Smith', a long-storing late cultivar. The major benefit was a decrease in rate of apple softening, both during OC storage and during simulated shelf life at 20C. Soluble solids concentration was not affected by heat treatment, but titratable acidity was reduced. Ethylene production after heat treatment and storage was similar to or higher than that of control apples, but respiration was lower. The optimum temperature and time combination for prestorage treatment of both cultivars was 4 days at 38C.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 380-385
Author(s):  
Nicholas T. Basinger ◽  
Katherine M. Jennings ◽  
David W. Monks ◽  
Wayne E. Mitchem

AbstractStudies were conducted at six locations across North Carolina to determine tolerance of ‘Sunbelt’ grape (bunch grape) and muscadine grape (‘Carlos’, ‘Triumph’, ‘Summit’) to indaziflam herbicide. Treatments included indaziflam (0, 50, 73 g ai ha–1) or flumioxazin (213 g ai ha–1) applied alone in April, and sequential applications of indaziflam (36, 50, 73 g ai ha–1) or flumioxazin (213 g ai ha–1) applied in April followed by the same rate applied in June. No crop injury was observed across locations. Muscadine yield was not affected by herbicide treatments. Yield of ‘Sunbelt’ grape increased with sequential applications of indaziflam at 73 g ha–1 when compared to a single application of indaziflam at 50 g ha–1 or flumioxazin at 213 g ha–1 in 2015. Sequential applications of flumioxazin at 213 g ha–1 reduced ‘Sunbelt’ yield compared to a single application of indaziflam at 73 g ha–1 in 2016. Trunk cross-sectional area was unaffected by herbicide treatments. Fruit quality (soluble solids concentration, titratable acidity, and pH) for muscadine and bunch grape was not affected by herbicide treatments. Indaziflam was safe to use at registered rates and could be integrated into weed management programs for southern US vineyards.


2011 ◽  
Vol 236-238 ◽  
pp. 2769-2772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xi Hong Li ◽  
Cheng Jun Wang ◽  
Ai Li Wang ◽  
Yao Xiao ◽  
Yao Tang ◽  
...  

Kiwifruit is very perishable especially at 20 °C. The quality of kiwifruit with 1-MCP treatment stored at 20 °C in modified packages was investigated. Three different polyolefin films, including 0.03mm thickness polyethylene (PE), 0.03mm and 0.05mm thickness poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) films, were used as packaging films. Kiwifruit were fumigated with 1-MCP to delay ripeness and then packaged with the three films and control (air). O2 and CO2 concentrations in the packages, flesh firmness, soluble solids concentration (SSC), titratable acidity (TA) and ascorbic acid were measured. MAP treatments could postpone the increase of TTS, inhibit the reduction of TA, and avoid the decrease of flesh firmness. Kiwifruit packaged in 0.05mm PVC obtained 33% TA more than control fruit and approximate 25 % retention of initial firmness. However, MAP didn’t maintain more ascorbic acid content of kiwifruit. In conclusion, MAP using polyolefin films combination 1-MCP treatment, especially 0.05mm PVC, might be more effective for preserving the quality of kiwifruit.


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