Preharvest sprays with products containing Ca improves postharvest of sapota, a delicious fruit!, behaviour

Sapota [Manilkara achras (Mill.) Forsberg], popularly known as chiku in India, is native to tropical America belongs to family Sapotaceae. Several varieties are grown in India out of?which Kalipatti is one of the most popular and commercially important variety grown in?Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat states. South Gujarat is a horticulture belt were Kalipatti?variety is grown on large area. However, sapota is highly perishable; the post-harvest life is?very short. Being a climacteric fruit, sapota ripens within 3 to 4 days after harvest and soon?after full ripened stage, rapid bio-chemical changes reduced the shelf life. To increase the shelf?life through pre-harvest treatments is considered one of the major attempts in sapota?cultivation. Various chemicals have been used to hasten or delay ripening, to reduce losses and?to improve and maintain colour and quality by slowing down the metabolic activities of fruit.These chemicals arrest the growth and spread of microorganism by reducing the shriveling?which ultimately leads to an increased shelf life and maintain the marketability of the fruit for?a longer period. Therefore, the present investigation was carried out to find the ?Influence of?pre-harvest spraying treatments of chemicals and plant growth regulators on physical?parameters post-harvest losses and shelf life of sapota [Manilkara achras (Mill.) Forsberg]?fruits cv. Kalipatti?. Investigation was conducted to study the ?Influence of pre-harvest spraying treatments of chemicals and?plant growth regulators on physical parameters, post-harvest losses and shelf life of sapota fruits cv.?Kalipatti?. Pre-harvest spraying treatments comprises - different chemicals (Calcium chloride @ 2 %,?Calcium nitrate @ 2 %, Calcium sulphate @ 2 % and Potassium chloride @ 2 %) - and different level of?plant growth regulators (GA3 @ 50 and 100 mg / l, NAA @ 50 and 100 mg / l) with control (Water spray?and Absolute). After harvest fruits were stored at room temperature. Fruit weight and fruit volume was?significantly increased when trees were sprayed with GA3 @ 100 mg / l one month before harvest.However, minimum physiological loss in weight and spoilage percentage were noticed under CaCl2 @ 2?% treatment followed by treatment T2 [Ca(NO3)2]. These treatments also improves the fruit firmness,?shelf life and day taken to ripening of the sapota fruits during storage. SourcesInfluence of pre-harvest spraying treatments of chemicals and plant growth regulators on physical parameters, post-harvest losses and shelf life of sapota [Manilkara achras (Mill.) Forsberg] fruits cv. KalipattiVN Desai, BN Satodiya and KJ KhatanaDepartment of Horticulture, B. A. College of Agriculture, Anand Agricultural University, Anand, Gujarat, IndiaJournal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2017; 6(5): 576-578http://www.phytojournal.com/archives/2017/vol6issue5/PartI/6-4-371-717.pdf Picture, www.fao.org