New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts
Preharvest and storage quality of `Braeburn' apple fruit
grown under water deficit conditions
T. M. MILLS*
M. H. BEHBOUDIAN
Department of Plant Science
Massey University
Private Bag 11 222
Palmerston North, New Zealand
B. E. CLOTHIER
Environment Group
The Horticulture and Food Research
Institute of New Zealand
Private Bag 11 030
Palmerston North, New Zealand
*Present address: Environment Group, The Horticulture and Food Research
Institute of New Zealand, Private Bag 11 030, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Abstract Six-year-old `Braeburn' apple trees (Malus
domestica Borkh.) on MM106 rootstock were studied to determine the
influence of withholding irrigation on fruit composition both before harvest
and during storage. Trees were either fully irrigated (I) according to
commercial practice, or not irrigated (NI). Rainfall was excluded from the
rootzone of all NI trees and three of the six I trees from 105 days after full
bloom (DAFB). The NI trees had lower leaf water potential ([[Psi]]) than I
trees from 110 DAFB. Fruit were sampled at 2-week intervals from 130 DAFB until
192 DAFB. Some fruit picked at 192 DAFB were placed in cold storage for 12
weeks at 0deg.C. Fruit were analysed at 3-week intervals until 84 days in
storage. No difference in fruit weight or crop load was observed between
treatments. Before the final harvest, NI fruit had higher concentrations of
total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), sucrose, sorbitol, and
total soluble sugars, and a lesser concentration of nitrogen than I fruit.
Soluble sugar levels increased during storage for I and NI fruit. However,
larger increases in the concentrations of fructose, sucrose, and total soluble
sugars occurred in the NI compared to I fruit. No difference in the
concentration of Ca, Mg, K, and P was observed between treatments. The observed
differences in composition preharvest and during storage of the I and NI fruit
indicate an improvement of some attributes in NI fruit.
Keywords Malus domestica; fruit minerals; fruit
sugars; storage
New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 1996, Vol. 24:
159-166
0114-0671/96/2402-0159 $2.50/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand
1996
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