IMPACT OF PREHARVEST CHEMICAL APPLICATION ON PLUM (PRUNUS SALICINA L.) CV. SANTA ROSA QUALITY DURING STORAGE

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to studythe influenceof preharvest application of some chemicals on various
chemical parameters of plum (Prunus salicinaL.) cv. Santa Rosa under ambient storage conditions, involving pre
harvest spraying withCaCl2(0.1, 0.3 and 0.5%), GA3(20, 40 and 60 ppm) and NAA(20, 40 and 60ppm)applied 20
and 10 days before the expected date of harvest. TSS (12.63%) and total sugars (8.80%) at the harvest time were
reported to be maximum in response to GA3 (60 ppm) while as 0.5% CaCl2 resulted in highest ascorbic acid (7.18
mg/100g) and juice content (62.94%) which decreased during storage under all treatments. CaCl2at higher
concentration of 0.5%proved to be the most effective treatment in retaining the fruit quality during the entire
storage period recording highest means values fortotal sugars (9.05%), reducing sugars (8.04%), non-reducing
sugars (1.47%), TSS (12.80%), titrable acidity (1.411), ascorbic acid (6.69 mg/100gm) and juice content (55.07%).
Thus, it can be inferred from the study that CaCl2 (0.5%) was rated as most acceptable and superior, over all the
other treatments in term of quality parameters observed during ambient storage.