Open Access

ARTICLE

Effect of preharvest foliar sprays of calcium nitrate on melon fruit quality

by Muñoz FF, VE Ruiz, CA Bouzo

Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Fisiología y Biología Molecular Vegetal (LIFIBVE), Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Kreder 2805, C.P. 3080. Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina.

Address correspondence to: Carlos Bouzo, e-mail:

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2017, 86(all), 131-136. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2017.86.131

Abstract

The aim of this work was to study the effect of preharvest foliar spraying with calcium nitrate solutions on the fruit melon quality. Treatments included a combination of five solutions with Ca(NO₃)₂ (0.0; 1.3; 2.6; 5.2 and 10.5 g/L) and two postharvest storage environments [(24.0 ± 1.5 °C and 6.4 ± 0,8 mbar of vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and 10.0 ± 0.5 °C and 3.0 ± 0.5 mbar (VPD)]. Fruits stored at 24 °C for 11 days had the lowest water loss with treatments 1.3 and 2.6 g/L Ca (NO₃)₂. It was observed that at both 24 °C and 10 °C, fruits that had a greater firmness at the 2.6 and 5.2 g/L of Ca(NO₃)₂ treatments, respectively. No differences (P>0.05) were observed in total soluble solids (TSS) between treatments and storage environments. However, spotting of the epidermis of the fruits increased as the Ca(NO₃)₂ concentration also increased.

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Keywords

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