Postharvest Quality of Beetroots Grown Under Different Irrigation Depths and Ascorbic Acid Doses

Thiago Jardelino Dias,Walter Esfrain Pereira,Mário Leno Martins Veras,José Sebastião de Melo Filho,Álvaro Carlos Gonçalves Neto,Anderson Carlos de Melo Gonçalves,Leonardo Vieira de Sousa,Toshik Iarley da Silva,Joana Gomes de Moura,José de Anchieta Alves de Albuquerque

doi:10.5539/jas.v11n16p180

Abstract

Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) is a culture of great demand in Brazil due to its high nutritional value. However, water availability is a determining factor on its production. An alternative to reduce the damage caused by water stress is to apply organic solutes, such as ascorbic acid. The purpose hereof was to evaluate the postharvest quality of beetroots grown under different irrigation depths and ascorbic acid doses. The experiment was carried out in the Human, Social, and Agricultural Center&rsquo;s Postharvest Physiology and Technology Laboratory of the Federal University of Para&iacute;ba, Bananeiras, Para&iacute;ba, Brazil, in a completely randomized design with five doses of ascorbic acid (0.00, 0.29, 1.00, 1.71, and 2.00 mM) and five irrigation depths (40.0%, 51.6%, 80.0%, 108.4%, and 120.0% of the evapotranspiration), combined according to each Box Central Compound experimental matrix, totaling nine treatments with five repetitions. The variables total soluble solids, electrical conductivity, hydrogenation potential, titratable acidity, total soluble solids and titratable acidity ratio, moisture, dry matter, and mineral matter were evaluated. The data were submitted for analysis of variance and polynomial regression. There was a significant interaction between the irrigation depths and the ascorbic acid doses in every variable, except for electrical conductivity and mineral matter. The postharvest characteristics of beetroots improved with applications of ascorbic acid doses in the thinner irrigation depths. The greatest dose of ascorbic acid (2 mM) in the thinner irrigation depth (40%) increases the postharvest quality of beet tuberous roots.

Highlights

The horticultural or table beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) is the most known beetroot variety in Brazil
The olericulture is directly affected by the amount of water in the soil because it is determinant in vegetable physiology due to its participation in every phase of the plant
The interactions between the irrigation depths with the ascorbic acid (AA) doses were significant for the postharvest variables of the tuberous beetroots (Beta vulgaris L.), except for mineral matter and electrical conductivity

Summary

Introduction

The horticultural or table beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) is the most known beetroot variety in Brazil. It belongs to the Chenopodiaceae family and it originates from the Mediterranean coast (Costa et al, 2017). The olericulture is directly affected by the amount of water in the soil because it is determinant in vegetable physiology due to its participation in every phase of the plant. Both water deficit and excess limit the yield and final quality of the product in most cultures (Sousa et al, 2004; Santos et al, 2016). The proper management and adjustment of the irrigation depth in the cultures, especially during production, are necessary to guarantee greater quality harvests (Cavalcante et al, 2016)

Methods

Results

Conclusion