Effects of deficit irrigation on fruit maturity and quality of 'Braeburn' apple

Effects of deficit irrigation (DI) on fruit maturity at harvest, ripening c haracteristics, and changes in fruit quality during and after storage of 'B raebum' apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) were studied in two experiments. In Experiment 1, irrigation treatments were a commercially irrigated control ( CI), an early deficit irrigation (EDI) applied from 63 to 118 days after fu ll bloom (DAFB), and a late deficit irrigation (LDI) applied from 118 DAFB to final harvest on 201 DAFB. Irrigation treatments in Experiment 2 were a commercially irrigated control (CI) and a whole-season deficit irrigation ( WDI). These DI treatments all reduced volumetric soil water content. The LD I and WDI advanced fruit ripening but EDI did not. All DI treatments increa sed fruit total soluble solids (TSS) and firmness regardless of maturity bu t had little or no effect on titratable acidity The differences in TSS star ted during fruit growth much earlier than the onset of ripening and were ma intained during and following storage at 0 degreesC. The differences in fir mness. also started during fruit growth and were maintained for at least 10 weeks of storage at 0 degreesC. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.