EXTENDING POSTHARVEST QUALITY ATTRIBUTES OF GRAPES (V. vinifera L. cv. ‘THOMPSON SEEDLESS’) BY PREHARVEST CALCIUM PULVERIZATIONS

Abstract

Demand for fresh grape is increasing globally in accordance with the improvement in living standard since the grape berry contains large amounts of phytochemicals including anthocyanins, phenolics, flavonoids and resveratrol, which have been suggested to be responsible for human health benefits. However, table grapes easily undergo deterioration due to their soft texture and the high water content, which make it difficult to preserve without treatment. This study was thus conducted to evaluate the effect of preharvest calcium sprays on maintenance of postharvest quality of grapes (V. vinifera L. cv. 'Thompson Seedless'). Three preharvest calcium sprays were applied to leaves and developing green berries with or without leaf removal pruning (a traditional practice performed in commercial vineyards worldwide) during berry development stages. After harvest, grapes were cold stored (1°C, 90% R.H.) up to 3 months. Preharvest micronized calcium sprays, with or without leaf removal pruning, markedly extended the postharvest quality of grapes by delaying weight loss, reducing decay, maintaining rachis chlorophyll concentrations and preserving visual quality during the prolonged cold storage. Besides, in calcite-treated grapes, lower titratable acidity decrease courses with a subsequent lower maturity index during prolonged storage indicate that calcite sprays restricted postharvest physiological senescence of grapes. Overall findings indicated that preharvest calcite sprays may be an environmental-friendly, healthy and sustainable viticulture practice for extending postharvest quality of grapes.

Postharvest Losses in Quantity and Quality of Table Grape (cv. Crimson Seedless) along the Supply Chain and Associated Economic, Environmental and Resource Impacts

“…'Red Globe'. Results for changes in TA are similar to findings reported by [28] that berry TA underwent a progressive decrease during storage for cv. 'Thompson Seedless'.…”

“…'BRS Isis' after 50 days in cold storage plus 5 days under ambient conditions. In 2018, however, results indicated that berry color became lighter, which differs from [28] reporting that L decreased with storage time for cv. 'Thompson Seedless', while [55] reported no significant changes in color for cv.…”

“…Rapid moisture loss, which results in rachis (cluster stem) drying and browning [24,25], mass loss [26], berry shatter, wilting and shriveling of berries [27] are some of the main quality problems experienced during postharvest handling causing quantitative and quality losses. It has been suggested that inappropriate handling processes are the main reason for weakening the natural defenses of grapes and making fresh grapes more susceptible to decay and subsequent deterioration [28].…”

Maintaining the Grape Quality on Organically Grown Vines (Vitis vinifera L.) at Vineyard Condition under Temperate Climate of Konya Province

“…Berry decay was quantified by counting the number of decayed berries in each cluster, multiplying the total number of decayed berries per replication by the average berry size, and calculating the percentage of decayed berries (Sabir and Sabir 2017).…”

Effect of bleeding to Actinidia arguta (Sieb. & Zucc) Planch. ex Miq. on plant growth, physiological characteristics and fruit quality

“…After a short time, a lot of xylem sap can bleeding (more than 100 mL•h − 1 ) [27]. For rich nutrient in xylem sap, the loss of these sap may lead to damage of the growth and fruitfulness.…”