The effect of foliar application of calcium chloride on shelf-life and quality of strawberry

In order to study the effect of foliar application of calcium chloride on firmness and quality of strawberry fruit, An field experiment was carried out at Grizeh research station in agricultural research center of Kurdistan since 1999 to 2001. Experimental design was complete randomized design as factorial with three replications. Treatments were consist of different concentrations of calcium chloride as C0 (Check), C1=0.3%, C2=0.5%, C3=0.7%, C4=0.9% and C5=1.1% and two foliar application times as T1=After flowering and T2=One week before the first fruit harvesting. Fruit was harvested three-times. Three-series fruit was sampled from each plot. In order to study the effects of different treatments on fruit firmness in two fruit storage condition, two series fruit from every treatments were stored in special dishes for firmness test in S1= Room air condition (20-25 c ) and S2=Refrigerator(4 c ). Number of total fruit in every dishes before storage were counted, then number of fruits' decayed in two fruit storage conditions were counted in thirth and fiveth, fiveth and nineth days after fruit harvesting respectively. Based upon it, percent of fruit decayed per every day was calculated. Thirth- series of fruit sample was used for analysing of total acidity, TSS, pH and dry matter in fruits. Results of analysis variance of treatments was showed that calcium chloride concentration was increased the fruit firmness, as that it was significant in 1% level for two fruit storage condition. As the effect of foliar application time treatments on fruit firmness was significant in thirth and fiveth days after fruit harvesting in 1% level in room-air storage fruit condition but it was not significant for refrigerator condition. Also results indicated that all of calcium chloride treatments relate to check were decreased the fruit softness percent. Then in two condition of storage fruit, C1 treatment to increase the fruit firmness was the best, So that mean of softness fruit percent for 5 and 9 days after fruit harvesting about 58.92% and 66.93% relative to check with mean of softness fruit percent 68.34% and 77.29%, so that there were decreased about 9.42% and 9.36% respectively that it was significant in 1% level. As the main and interaction effect of treatments on total acidity and fruit yield was not significant but the effect of calcium chloride concentration on dry matter percentage of fruit and interaction effect of foliar application time and calcium chloride concentration on fruit pH was significant in 5% level.