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Abstract
Meteorological parameters and occurrences of cracking (CR), russeting (RS), and sun scald (SS) symptoms were monitored in a pomegranate cv. “Wonderful” orchard planted in a W–E orientation, during a 3-year study. Moreover, the efficacy of preharvest foliar sprays with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA; 0.5 mM or 1.0 mM), applied biweekly four to six times, on yield and fruit quality attributes were evaluated in a 2-year study. Fruit from the N-side of the canopy had greater CR and RS, whereas SS symptoms were lower, compared with the S-exposed part of the canopy. The N-side of the canopy had also substantially lower fruit number and yield, suggesting for an important role of light on bisexual flower formation and/or fruit set. Following the occurrences in CR and RS during the fruit maturation period, it was found that temperature fluctuation was the main cause. The presence of RS damages may also be related with increased relative humidity and water movement as symptoms were higher in years with higher values, in the N-side of the canopy and often occurred in the exposed and stylar end of the fruit. The ASA treatment substantially reduced RS by up to 57%, improved the peel red coloration, while anthocyanin, antioxidant capacity, and soluble solid contents in juice were higher. Foliar sprays with ASA did not affect yield, but induced a trend of bigger-sized fruit. In conclusion, planting in a N–S row orientation and selecting an orchard plantation site with a minimum temperature fluctuation and low relative humidity during the fruit-ripening period are measures to control CR and RS in pomegranate. ASA foliar applications proved to have beneficial effects on juice antioxidant contents, but more importantly on fruit appearance.
Highlights
The pomegranate fruit has beneficial effects on human health and very good organoleptic characteristics, which were strong arguments for its promotion in the markets of developed countries that previously did not know much about this crop
In 2011, fruit maturation initiated in 277 days and an increase in the %CR and %RS were recorded 8 days later (285 days), and coincided with a fluctuation in Tmax and Tmin, and no change in %relative humidity (RH) or rainfall (Table 1; Figure 1)
The present study reports for the first time that pomegranate CR and RS were induced by temperature fluctuations during the fruit maturation period, and this parameter needs to be considered before establishing an orchard where temperature usually drop during the fruit maturation period
Summary
The pomegranate fruit has beneficial effects on human health and very good organoleptic characteristics, which were strong arguments for its promotion in the markets of developed countries that previously did not know much about this crop. Of the most important cause limiting commercial yield worldwide is cracking (CR) It is induced by differences in the growth rate between peel and flesh of the fruit and the pressure imposed by the quickly expanding arils on the stretched peel (Singh et al, 2020). Cultivars differ in their susceptibility to CR and damages were related with increasing trends in fruit volume, lower Ca ion and higher pectin content in peel, resulting in decreased elasticity (Saei Ahagh et al, 2015).
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