R. Dris et R. Niskanen, Calcium chloride sprays decrease physiological disorders following long-term cold storage of apple, PL FOOD HUM, 54(2), 1999, pp. 159-171
Field experiments were carried out at the Horticultural Research Institute,
and in five commercial apple orchards, located in southwest Finland includ
ing the Aland Islands during 1994 and 1995. The experimental cultivars were
Melba, Raike, Red Atlas, Akero, Aroma, and Lobo. The treatments were untre
ated control and preharvest calcium chloride (CaCl2) sprays at Ca 2.0 g/l.
Fruit samples were stored for two to six months at 2-4 degrees C and 85-95%
RH. The percentage of the incidence of physiological disorders of stored a
pples was scored. Fruit macronutrients, firmness, diameter and juice titrat
able acidity and percentage of soluble solids were determined. Only a few n
utrient effects in the flesh of the apple cultivars were a result of CaCl2
sprayings. Preharvest CaCl2 sprays increased fruit firmness and the titrata
ble acidity but decreased soluble solids, soluble solids/titratable acidity
ratio, and the incidence of physiological storage disorders of some cultiv
ars. When looking at the mean of all cultivars, CaCl2 sprayings increased t
itratable acidity and decreased soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio aft
er four months of storage during 1995 and reduced the incidence of physiolo
gical disorders after three months of storage during 1994 and after four mo
nths of storage in 1995.