The Effect of Preharvest Spraying with Some Nutrients and Anti-Transpiration on the Storage Characteristics of Apple Fruits (Ibrahimi cultivar)

Abstract

Abstract The experiment was carried out in one of the refrigerated warehouses in the city of Baqubah, Al-Hadid District, Diyala Governorate, during the 2021 season to study the effect of spraying the treatments (nutrients, anti-transpiration, and the interaction between them) on the characteristics of stored apple fruits (Ibrahimi cultivar). Spraying with nano-calcium carbonate gave the lowest value of total damage of fruit (3.569%), respiration rate (2.636 mg CO2/kg/hour), and total acidity in the fruits (0.214%), it gave the highest hardness rate in the fruits, (1.007 kg/cm2), sugar content in the fruits (12.06%), ascorbic acid content in the fruits (15.93 mg. 100 ml-1), and calcium content in the fruits (895.9 mg/L), while spraying with nano-iron gave the highest rate in the total soluble solids in fruits (14.56%), as for spraying anti-transpiration, spraying of Kaolinite gave the lowest value of total damage of fruit (4.259%), fruit respiration rate (2.559 mg CO2/kg/hour), and total acidity in the fruits (0.222%), it gave the highest total soluble solids in fruits (14.32 %), content of ascorbic acid in the fruits, (14.51mg. 100 ml-1), whereas potassium silicate recorded the highest rate of fruit hardness (1.005 kg/cm2).