Grafting and Shading—The Influence on Postharvest Tomato Quality

Zoran S Ilić,Athanasios Koukounaras,Lidija Milenković,Aleksandra Bajić,Ljubomir Šunić,Renata Kovač,Jasna Mastilović,Žarko Kevrešan,Elazar Fallik

doi:10.3390/agriculture10050181

Zoran S Ilić, Athanasios Koukounaras + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10050181

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Abstract

Interaction of grafting and shading on tomato physical properties and chemical composition after 15 days of storage at 10 °C and 90% relative humidity was investigated in ungrafted and grafted tomato cultivars ‘Optima F1’ and ‘Big beef F1’ grown under shading nets (red and pearl net) and nonshaded conditions. For grafted plants ‘Maxifort’ rootstock was used. The effects of two weeks of storage was statistically significant when taking into account the effects of grafting, shading and variety for all tomato fruit composition parameters, except total phenols. A principal component analysis demonstrated that the changes in tomato fruit traits during the studied storage period were the main source of differentiation in tomato fruit quality. Beside a slight loss of firmness, tomato fruits were generally expected to have lower lycopene, sugar, malic and citric acid contents, higher succinic acid content, more elastic fruit skin and higher ascorbic acid content. Additionally, after storage, fruits from grafted plants had lower total phenol, higher ascorbic acid and higher succinic acid contents compared to fruits from ungrafted plants. Storage diminishes the differences in quality achieved through convenient grafting and shading combinations.

Highlights

In order to meet increased consumer demand for perfect quality, excessively high temperatures and solar irradiation damage free tomatoes during the summer period
In order to test the significance of effects of involved treatments on tomato fruit composition main effects analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted for four factors examined in this experiment: grafting, shading, cultivar and storage
The present study investigated the relationship between shading and grafting and changes in various physical properties and chemical compositions of tomato fruits that were stored for a period of two weeks at a low, nonchilling temperature

Summary

Introduction

In order to meet increased consumer demand for perfect quality, excessively high temperatures and solar irradiation damage free tomatoes during the summer period. In addition to grafting, adopt new cultivation practices such as shading, which are carried out with the aim of overcoming of production constraints [1]. Low-cost protected cultivation, such as net houses, has the potential to reduce various biotic and abiotic challenges during summer production in open field, while creating a microclimate that positively affects productivity and quality of the grafted tomato [3]. Grafting can improve or reduce the fruit’s external and/or internal quality, depending on the specific rootstock/scion combination. Glion et al [4] investigated the effects of grafting in combination with various water qualities on cherry tomato yield, and on fruit quality and sensory attributes after harvest and prolonged storage

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