Abstract
The purpose of this work was to investigate how to overcome the negative effect of anti-hail netting on the photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) in persimmon trees and persimmon fruit colour, flesh firmness, total soluble solids (TSS) and individual carotenoid and phenolic compound contents (determined via HPLC-MS) under a hail net with the use of reflective foil. Reflective foil increased the PPFD on the lower side of the fruits, while there was no significant difference on the upper side compared to those of the control group. The CIE colour parameters a* and h° indicated more intense red colouration of the fruits in the foil treatment than those in the control. Among carotenoids, the content of β-carotene increased, and the content of zeaxanthin decreased in fruits in the reflective foil treatment group, while the content of other carotenoids was not affected by the reflective foil. Among individual phenolic compounds in the persimmon peel, greater light intensity significantly influenced all three phenolic compound subgroups: phenolic acids, flavan-3-ols and flavonols. The content of gallic acid in the persimmon flesh increased the most, while other phenolics did not show any significant differences in concentrations between the foil and control groups. This study is the first to examine the influence of reflective foil on bioactive compounds in persimmon fruit. The use of reflective foil in persimmon orchards improves persimmon fruit colour and selected bioactive compound contents.
Highlights
Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) is a widespread fruit, with very attractive yellow to orange or dark red peel
The major disadvantage of protective nets is the interception of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), which is important for plant growth
The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of reflective foil on light intensity in persimmon trees, persimmon peel colour, total soluble solids (TSS), fruit firmness, content of carotenoids in persimmon fruit and content of phenolic compounds in fruit peel and flesh in the ‘Tipo’ variety
Summary
Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) is a widespread fruit, with very attractive yellow to orange or dark red peel. Much research with promising results has been conducted on light intensity improvement in the intensive production of various fruits, including apples[9,10], pears[11], cherries[12], persimmon[7] and kiwifruit[7], by covering the orchard floor with reflective foil (RF). This enables light reflection from the ground into the inter-row zone and www.nature.com/scientificreports tree canopy, improving light intensity and distribution in the dense persimmon canopy, as mentioned above. The ‘Tipo’ variety was chosen for this experiment because it is a popular cultivar and the most appropriate one for climate conditions in Slovenia
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