Influence of pre-harvest application of calcium and putrescine on fruit quality of peach during storage

A study was aimed at analyzing the effect of pre-harvest sprays of calcium and putrescine on extending the shelf life and improving the fruit quality attributes of peach cv. Pratap was undertaken at G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand. Peach fruit is generally characterized by high perishability and short storage potential as fruits ripen quickly, shrivel by losing water and can be destroyed by fruit rotting microorganisms, thus rendering them unmarketable. For this, fifteen-year-old peach trees were sprayed with putrescine and calcium sprays and their combination treatments 10 days before harvesting. Fruit quality assessment such as fruit weight, physiological loss in weight (PLW), fruit shrinkage, fruit firmness, fruit decay, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), ascorbic acid content and total sugars were analyzed at harvest and after every 6 days up to 30 days of storage at controlled conditions of 4±1°C and 85± 3% relative humidity (RH). All other pre-harvest foliar sprays showed better fruit quality and storage outcomes than the control. The findings of the present investigation revealed that foliar spray of calcium nitrate at the rate of 1.0% along with the application of putrescine at the rate of 100 ppm followed by calcium nitrate at the rate of 1.0% along with the application of putrescine at the rate of 200 ppm improved the quality and storability of peach cv. Pratap. The combined treatment of putrescine and calcium enhanced firmness, TSS and total sugars and reduced weight loss, shrinkage and fruit decay percentage.