Open Access

ARTICLE

Calcium content on apple fruit influences the severity of Penicillium expansum

by Guerrero-Prieto VM, DI Berlanga-Reyes, JL Jacobo-Cuellar, C Guigón-Lopez, DL Ojeda-Barrios, GD Ávila-Quezada, A Núñez-Barrios, OA Hernández-Rodríguez

1 Facultad de Ciencias Agrotecnológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, Ext. Cuauhtémoc, Chih. Av. Presa de La Amistad # 2015, Cuauhtémoc, Chih. C.P. 31510, México.
2 Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C., Unidad Cuauhtémoc, Av. Río Conchos s/n, Parque Industrial, Apdo. Postal 781, Cuauhtémoc, Chih, C.P. 31570, México.
3 Centro de Investigación en Recursos Naturales. DGETA-SEP. Salaices, Chih. México.
4 Facultad de Ciencias Agrotecnológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, Campus I, Chihuahua, Chih. C.P. 31500, México.

Address correspondence to: Dr. VM Guerrero-Prieto. Facultad de Ciencias Agrotecnológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, Ext. Cuauhtémoc, Chih. Av. Presa de La Amistad # 2015, Cuauhtémoc, Chih. C. P. 31510. México, e-mail:

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2017, 86(all), 74-78. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2017.86.074

Abstract

Calcium content and damage severity of Penicillium expansum because of its high concentration on “Red Delicious” postharvest apples were evaluated during the 2012-2013 winter in Cuauhtemoc, Chih. Mexico. Fruit weight, diameter, total soluble solids, pulp firmness and starch index were also determined. Penicillium expansum was inoculated into two wounds of eight mm diameter and 10 mm depth, on a total of 20 apple fruits per treatment. The inoculum was 0.2 mL of a suspension containing 1×10⁸ conidia/mL. After inoculation, apple fruit was stored at 0 °C and 90% relative humidity during five weeks. Treatments were: apple fruit with high (2.28 mg/100 g fresh weight) and low (2.16 mg/100 g fresh weight) calcium content, with and without P. expansum, and a control which was inoculated with sterile water. The greater the fruit Ca content, the lower the severity of the fruit area affected by P. expansum (i.e., 27 cm2 affected with high Ca content vs. 34 cm2 with low Ca content).

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