Postharvest quality of Carica papaya var. Eksotika after foliar feeding treatment

Meljev Singh Sidhu; Phebe Ding

Postharvest quality of Carica papaya var. Eksotika after foliar feeding treatment

2008

Meljev Singh Sidhu | Phebe Ding

A field study was conducted to determine the effects of foliar feeding using of two Frumone® formulations on postharvest quality of Eksotika papaya. The treatments consisted of water (control), Frumone® and Frumone®+neem oil (2 mL.L-1 water) applied by foliar spraying to one-year-old plants at 30-d intervals for 4 months. Green with trace of yellow fruits at ripening stage (RS) 2, were harvested and then ripened using calcium carbide (10 g.kg-1 fruit) at 27°C for 24 h. Fruit quality at RS 2, 4 and 6 were evaluated. In comparison to the control treatment, the two formulations of Frumone® treatments did not affect peel colour, pulp firmness, soluble solids concentration (SSC), vitamin C content and titratable acidity of Eksotika papaya fruit. However, the pH of the fruit was significantly affected by the treatments. Fruit peel colour, flesh firmness, SSC, vitamin C content, pH and titratable acidity were significantly affected by RS. There were significant interaction effects of foliar feeding x RS on C* values, flesh firmness, SSC and pH. As fruits ripened, ho values correlated positively with pulp firmness and negatively with SSC. This indicated that during fruit ripening, the change in fruit peel colour, from green to yellow, was followed by fruit softening and increase in sweetness. In conclusion, foliar feeding using Frumone® and Frumone®+neem oil did not affect postharvest quality of Eksotika papaya fruit.

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