No abstract

Due to the high perishability of figs, calcium stands out as an important nutrient for orchard management. This study aims to study the pre-harvest applications of calcium chloride in fig orchards. The fig trees were sprayed with 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0% CaCl2, and fruits were thereafter stored for 0, 7, 14 and 21 d. The variables analysed were the concentration of calcium in leaves and fruits, weight loss, fruit decay, pectinolytic enzyme activity, and physical and chemical attributes of the fruits; CaCl2 sprays enhanced fruit Ca2+ concentration in leaves (14.03%) and fruits (29.3%) and were effective in reducing polygalacturonase and pectin methylesterase activity, weight loss and fruit decay. Pre-treatment with 1% CaCl2 provided fruits with larger diameters, greater firmness, and higher levels of total phenolic compounds in both fruit peel and pulp. The pre-harvest application at 1% CaCl2 showed to be a promising technique in producing high quality fruits and extended storage by approximately 7 to 10 days. These findings may be useful in planning new cultural practices for fig orchards that produce high-quality fruit with desirable characteristics for growers and consumers.

Pomegranate stands out as healthy fruit due to its phytochemical compounds. Some dormancy studies have stated the need to understand seed physiology, subsequent seedling production, as producers intended to expand the supply of pomegranate, besides facilitating the introduction of such promising crop. Thus, this study aimed to identify possible integumentary dormancy in seeds of pomegranate cultivar Comum and to evaluate the effect of mechanical scarification and water immersion of seeds, as overcoming method. In this study, sarcotesta was removed from scarified and non-scarified seeds, and then immersed in deionised water for up to 0, 12, 24 and 48 hours. Then seeds were embedded in trays of expanded polystyrene with organic substrate at greenhouse. The following evaluations were carried out: initial emergence, speed index, mean time of emergence and emergence percentage, besides biometric variables such as leaf number, stem diameter, length of aerial part and root system, fresh matter and total dry matter. A 2 x 4 factorial arrangement (presence or absence of scarification x four immersion time) in a completely randomized design was used, with 4 replicates of 25 seeds each. The results showed that seeds do not need to be scarified and immersed in water, regarding to both emergence and initial seedling growth variables. Results indicated that it was unnecessary to perform scarification and water immersion for emergence and initial growth variables, leading to conclusion that pomegranate seeds cv. Comum have no integumentary dormancy.