Effect of microwave irradiation and potassium permanganate on storage time of late bearing Noori apricot cultivar

Abstract

Apricot fruit is of great importance due to its high quality, and the possibility of exporting it from an economic point of view. In order to maintain the quality of apricots, in addition to observing the principles of horticulture, the issue of proper storage after harvesting and managing the product until the time of sale is inevitable. In this research, the effect of microwave radiation and potassium permanganate to increase yield of apricots of the late fruiting Noori cultivar during 45 days of storage at a temperature of 2 0C and a relative humidity of 85 to 95% was studied. For this purpose, an experiment was conducted with microwave radiation (control (0)180 and 360 W), storage time (15, 30 and45 days) and 3 potassium permanganate (control − 3 and 5 g) on apricot cv. Noori. Results showed that the appearance quality and taste of the fruit improved under the influence of microwave radiation. The TSS/TA ratio increased with increasing storage time, while the application of microwave radiation and potassium permanganate decreased the fruit maturity index. The use of microwave radiation and potassium permanganate reduced the rate of fruit rot. The use of microwave radiation and potassium permanganate treatments increased the firmness of the fruit tissue. The results of this research showed that the use of microwave radiation as a type of heat treatment and potassium permanganate can be introduced as an effective strategy in the technology after harvesting apricot fruits.