Abstract

BARRIENTOS-PRIEGO, Alejandro F.; MARTINEZ-DAMIAN, María Teresa; VARGAS-MADRIZ, Haidel  and  LAZARO-DZUL, Martha Olivia. Effect of preharvest calcium spraying on ripening and chilling injury in ‘Hass’ (Persea americana Mill.) avocado. Rev. Chapingo Ser.Hortic [online]. 2016, vol.22, n.3, pp.145-159. ISSN 2007-4034.  https://doi.org/10.5154/r.rchsh.2016.04.010.

Exporting avocado involves a number of postharvest problems because the fruit has a limited shelf life and marked sensitivity to development of chilling injury when using low temperatures to prolong its useful life. There are measures to alleviate the problem, such as infiltration of calcium ions; therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of preharvest spraying of Ca(NO3)2, at 0.3 and 0.5 %, on the postharvest physiology of cv. Hass fruits stored at 5 °C and room temperature for five weeks. The sprayings were performed in the aerial part every six weeks until harvest, totaling six applications. The variables evaluated were: ethylene production, respiration rate, calcium concentration in the exocarp and mesocarp, firmness, polyphenol oxidase activity, weight loss and chilling injury. It was found that Ca(NO3)2, at 0.3 and 0.5 %, decreased the respiratory rate and ethylene production during storage at room temperature and under chilling conditions. An Increase in the calcium concentration in the exocarp (0.085 %) was observed when 0.5 % Ca(NO3)2 was sprayed, as compared to the control (0.08 %). In the mesocarp, concentrations of 0.081 % were reached by spraying Ca(NO3)2 at 0.3 % and 0.084 % with calcium at 0.5 %, values higher than those of the control (0.078 %). In general, the Ca(NO3)2 sprayings decreased weight loss, polyphenol oxidase activity and chilling injury.

Keywords : Persea americana Mill.; Ca(NO₃)₂; postharvest; chilling; quality.

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