Improving postharvest storage of fresh red-fleshed pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus sp.) fruit by pre-harvest application of CPPU

Abstract

The appearance, flavor, and taste are important criteria of fruit quality, which is affected by environmental conditions, orchard management, and postharvest storage. The current study was conducted to investigate the influence of the pre-harvest application of forchlorfenuron (CPPU) on the red-fleshed cv. ‘Fu Kwai Hong’ pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus sp.) fruit during storage at 5 °C. On the flowering day, 100 mg L−1 CPPU was sprayed on the bracts and water was used as the control. The significantly higher bract thickness (1.49 mm and 1.67 mm), shorter fruit length (88.6 mm and 99.4 mm), lower fruit shape index (0.91 and 0.95), and less cracking ratio (0% and 2.17%) were recorded on CPPU treated fruit in both winter and summer seasons, respectively. Moreover, CPPU resulted in more chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll content in the bracts than in the control, which caused fresh-green color of the bracts when CPPU treated fruit was harvested compared to the control, and was significantly less degree of bract browning than the control fruit during storage. Additionally, CPPU treated fruit exhibited later incidence of chilling injury than the control fruit during 5 °C storage. On the other hand, CPPU treated fruit had more weight loss and a slight increase of respiration rate compared to the control during storage at 5 °C.