Application of Calcium Chloride at Different Phenological Stages Alleviates Chilling Injury and Delays Climacteric Ripening in Peach Fruit during Low-Temperature Storage

Abstract

Owing to the high degree of perishability of the fruit, the peach industry faces serious challenges tackling physiological disorders, microbial/chemical decay, and the suboptimal quality of the fruit during and following cold storage. The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of spray applications of calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ) at various physiological stages of fruit growth and development, on ripening, flesh softening, chilling injury (CI) and nutritional quality of peach fruit cv "Flordaking" during low-temperature storage. The aqueous solutions of CaCl 2 [0, 1, 2, and 3% (w/v)] were sprayed on peach trees during cell division, pit hardening and cell expansion stages in 2011 and 2012. At commercial harvest, the fruit were hand-picked and were subjected to cold storage at 1 ± 1°C (RH: 90 ± 5%) for 6 weeks. The data on CI index and other quality characteristics of the fruit were recorded at harvest and then weekly for up to 6 weeks. The results showed that the pre-harvest spray application of CaCl 2 substantially reduced the incidence of chilling injury (CI) and delayed climacteric ripening seemingly by lowering the rates of ethylene production and fruit softening during storage as compared to control, regardless the doses of CaCl 2 and its application time, however higher doses of calcium chloride proved to be toxic causing blemishes on the surface of "Flordaking" peaches. In conclusion, pre-harvest spray application of CaCl 2 @ 1% may be a successful production management tool to maintain the quality and to extend storability of peach fruit during cold storage.

Preharvest Application of Salicylic Acid, Calcium Acetate and Proline for Improving Fruit Quality and Shelf Life of “Early Swelling” Peaches

“…Preharvest application of calcium and salicylic acid on "Florida king" peaches increased fruit firmness as compared with control treatment (Ali et al, 2014). Similar results were obtained by Ali et al (2021 andAbd El-Aziz et al (2021).…”

Foliar Calcium Effects on Quality and Primary and Secondary Metabolites of White-Fleshed ‘Lemonato’ Peaches

“…In 2020, organic Ca or CaCl 2 increased the FF in the fruit of Kato Lehonia or Agios Vlasios, respectively. Similarly, in previous studies, CaCl 2 application increased FF [22,31]. In another study, the control and Ca-sprayed peaches had similar FF at harvest, but after cold storage, the Ca-sprayed fruit had higher FF values compared to the untreated peaches [21].…”

“…In general, the effect of foliar Ca applications on the fruit quality was not clear. Ali et al [22] and Val and Fernández [24] mentioned that CaCl 2 did not influence SSC, while Wahab et al [31] observed an increase in SSC with fruit from different peach cultivars. Moreover, the TA level in peach fruit was not affected [21], increased [22], or decreased after CaCl 2 foliar applications [31].…”

“…Ca is an important component of the plant cell wall and binds together pectin strands, helping to maintain fruit firmness postharvest [17][18][19][20]. In peach fruit, preharvest Ca sprays were found to positively affect the fruit quality parameters, especially flesh firmness, even after cold storage [21,22].…”

Synergistic Effect of Dipping in Aloe Vera Gel and Mixing with Chitosan or Calcium Chloride on the Activities of Antioxidant Enzymes and Cold Storage Potential of Peach (Prunus persica L.) Fruits

“…Moreover, [26,27] stated that high doses of calcium reduced ethylene creation in apple slices by impeding the transfer of 1-aminocyclopropane-l-carboxylic acid (ACC) to ethylene. The use of CaCl 2 markedly declined the prevalence of chilling injury and prolonged the climacteric maturation by reducing the ethylene making levels and fruit softening during storing compared to control [28].…”