Improvement of some quality parameters of Golden drop plum fruit by no-silica particles and calcium chloride foliar application

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor of Department of Horticultural Sciences, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran

3 Professor, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran

4 M.Sc. Student, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Postharvest losses of agricultural crops is high in Iran and it necessary to consider postharvest management. In order to investigate the effect of foliar application of calcium chloride and silica nanoparticles on of Golden Drop plum fruit quality attributes, a field study was conducted in the research orchard of Shahed University. The experiment was carried out as a completely randomized design with combination treatments of calcium chloride and silica nanoparticles with 4 replications. Treatments were included 4 levels of calcium chloride (0, 500, 1000, 2000 mg/L) and 3 levels of silica nanoparticles (0, 200, 400 mg/L). Control tress were sprayed with distilled water. The results showed that all combination treatments had a significant effect on fruit characteristics including fruit fresh weight, firmness, length and diameter, total soluble solids (TSS), Vitamin C, pH and titratable acidity (TA). Nano-silica at 200 mg/Lin combination with 1000 mg/L calcium chloride and nano-silica at 400 mg/L in combination with 1000 mg/L calcium chloride showed the highest effect on improving fruit qualities and morphological characteristics. It seems that foliar application of calcium chloride and silica nanoparticles can improve the quality attributes of plum fruits at harvest leading to enhanced postharvest life.

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