Postharvest Performance of `Elegant Lady' Peach Grown with Different Nitrogen Sources

Abstract

Fruit quality, storage potential, and consumer acceptance were evaluated for `Elegant Lady' peach fruit from non-conventional and conventional fertilizer management systems. Conventional treatments were fertilized with synthetic sources of nitrogen (ammonium nitrate), while the non-conventional plots received organic sources of nitrogen such as vetch cover, biosolids compost, grass compost, chicken manure, or steer manure. Fertilization treatments were applied at high (300 N unit per acre) and low rates (100 N unit/acre) 2 years before the first postharvest evaluation. Evaluations were carried out for three seasons. There were no significant differences in fruit firmness (N) measured at different fruit positions, soluble solids concentration (%), pH, titratable acidity (% malic acid), water loss susceptibility (%), rate of softening, red color (%), or inking incidence. The incidence of flesh browning, mealiness, and flesh bleeding was only related to storage time and not to the fertilizer source. Therefore, the storage potential was not affected by the nitrogen fertilizer source. In our in-store consumer preference test during the 1995 season, 950 consumers did not perceive any taste differences between fruit from the different nitrogen fertilizer sources. Despite this, consumers still would prefer to buy fruit produced using an organic source of nitrogen rather than synthetic sources.