Calcium chloride sprays decrease physiological disorders following long-term cold storage of apple

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.