Preharvest calcium and irrigation regime affects postharvest quality of cape gooseberry fruit (Physalis peruviana L.)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5073/JABFQ.2024.097.002Abstract
The cultivation of cape gooseberry in Colombia has increased in recent years, both in terms of export volume and production; however, yield has decreased by 19%. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate major factors that affect fruit production and postharvest behavior such as irrigation and calcium fertilization. A design with three randomized blocks was used that corresponded to the irrigation frequency (4, 9 and 14 days), each with 12 treatments composed of a factorial arrangement with four irrigation regimes (0.7, 0.9, 11 and 1.3 multiplying factor of the class A tank evaporation) and three doses of calcium (0, 50 and 100 kg ha-1). The calcium dose of 100 kg ha-1 resulted in fruits with a lower mass loss (8%), lower total soluble solids (TSS) content (15.74 °Brix) and greater firmness
(11.03 N) at the end of storage. The fruits retained better quality with the application of 100 kg ha-1 of calcium, along with an irrigation coefficient of 0.9 applied at four days interval; however, the fruits had a lower TSS content. The luminosity of the fruits and the chroma from blue to yellow (b*) decreased during the postharvest period, while the chroma from green to red (a*) and the color index increased. This research provides practical information for farmers, suggesting precise irrigation and calcium nutrition strategies to improve the post-harvest performance of cape gooseberry fruits.
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