Abstract
Nitrogen, which is considered the most important nutrient for peach trees, may interfere in both quantitative production characteristics and quality of fruits. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of the combination of doses of N fertilization and different periods of cold storage on physico-chemical and phytochemical characteristics of peaches in post-harvest. The experiment had a randomized complete block design in a 4x3 factorial scheme, i. e., four doses of fertilization (0, 60, 120 and 180 Kg N ha-1) and three periods of storage (on the harvest day, on both the 15th and the 30th storage days at 1±1ºC, each followed by a day of simulated commercialization at 20±1ºC). The following aspects were evaluated in fruits yielded by peach trees of the genotype Cascata 1067: fruit color, soluble solid content, titratable acidity, pulp firmness, mass loss, total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. Different periods of cold storage and doses of N fertilization were found to affect epidermis luminosity, pulp firmness and titratable acidity of fruits. Peaches may be stored at low temperatures for 15+1 days. After that, loss of fruit firmness increases. N fertilization affects neither the soluble solid content nor the epidermis color of peaches, but both parameters are influenced by storage. Values of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity decrease when there is N increment in the soil and when longer storage is carried out. Results suggest that peach composition may be affected by cultural practices, such as N fertilization, in harvest and after storage.
Highlights
Peach is a highly valued fruit worldwide due to its flavor, appearance and economic value in the production chain (MODESTO et al, 2014)
N fertilization is essential to peach trees, since it may interfere in aspects related to vegetative growth, productivity and fruit quality (DOLINSKI et al, 2005; FALGUERA et al, 2012; FERREIRA et al, 2018; DOLINSKI et al, 2018)
Plants with no N fertilization provided higher luminosity values on the harvest day, i. e., epidermis luminosity was lighter. This result may be related to plant vigor since, with no N fertilization, peach trees developed less in the aerial part (DELLA BRUNA; BACK, 2014; FERREIRA et al, 2018), a fact that interfered in the solar luminosity and radiation of the crown and, led to fruits with more luminosity
Summary
Peach is a highly valued fruit worldwide due to its flavor, appearance and economic value in the production chain (MODESTO et al, 2014). Mainly of fruit to be consumed fresh, it is fundamental to yield highquality fruits since, according to Trevisan et al (2010), attributes, such as size, color, flavor and absence of defects, attract consumers and play a decisive role at the time of purchase. These quality characteristics are closely related to the cultivar genetics, to edafoclimatic conditions and to the use of cultural techniques, such as adequate irrigation, pruning, phytosanitary treatments, thinning and fertilization (GONÇALVES et al, 2014; PEREIRA; RASEIRA, 2014; FERREIRA et al, 2018). N excess may stimulate vegetative growth of peach trees (DELLA BRUNA; BACK, 2014; FERREIRA et al, 2018), while N deficiency may affect plant photosynthesis (LEAL et al, 2007)
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