Postharvest quality of ‘Brookfield’ apple field-treated with naphthalene acetic acid alone or combined with other growth regulators

Lucas Mallmann Wendt,Magno Roberto Pasquetti Berghetti,Auri Brackmann,Fabio Rodrigo Thewes,Vanderlei Both,Erani Eliseu Schultz,Vagner Ludwig

doi:10.1590/1678-4499.20190194

Lucas Mallmann Wendt, Magno Roberto Pasquetti Berghetti + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-4499.20190194

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Journal: Bragantia	Publication Date: Mar 1, 2020
Citations: 9	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Universidade Federal de Santa Maria

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Gala cultivars represent about 65% of the Brazilian apple production, however, it has a short harvest period, making necessary to use technologies that anticipate or delay fruit maturation. A widely used technology is the preharvest application of growth regulators. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of preharvest application of naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) combined with aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) and 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid (Ethephon), on the quality of ‘Brookfield’ apple at harvest and after eight months controlledatmosphere (CA)(1.2 kPa O2 and 2.0 kPa CO2) storage followed by seven days of shelf life at 20 °C. The treatments were: [1] Control: application of water only; [2] NAA (40 g.ha-1); [3] NAA (40 g·ha-1) plus Ethephon (2.0 L·ha-1 24% of active ingredient), and [4] NAA (40 g·ha-1) plus AVG (0.83 kg.ha-1 15% of active ingredient). At harvest, fruit treated with NAA presented a higher level of starch degradation, ethylene production and respiration rate. Fruit treated with NAA plus AVG maintained better quality after eight months under CA storage plus seven days of shelf life, due to higher healthy fruit amount and higher flesh firmness, but this combination reduced the red skin color index. Additionally, NAA plus Ethephon may be an alternative to maintain the quality of ‘Brookfield’ apple during storage in comparison to the application of NAA isolated.

Highlights

The Gala cultivars represent about 65% of the Brazilian apple production, it has a short harvest period, making necessary to use technologies that anticipate or delay fruit maturation
Fruit treated with naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) plus AVG maintained better quality after eight months under CA storage plus seven days of shelf life, due to higher healthy fruit amount and higher flesh firmness, but this combination reduced the red skin color index
The short harvest window needs the adoption of technologies that anticipate or delay fruit maturation, such as the use of growth regulators (Brighenti et al 2017; Scolaro et al 2015)

Summary

Introduction

The Gala cultivars represent about 65% of the Brazilian apple production, it has a short harvest period, making necessary to use technologies that anticipate or delay fruit maturation. Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) is a synthetic auxin that reduces the preharvest fruit drop (Yuan and Li 2008), it may enhance fruit softening (Li and Yuan 2008) This is due to the increase in the expression of aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase genes and, to higher ethylene production (Li and Yuan 2008; Unrath et al 2009), decreasing the storage period of ‘Brookfield’ apple (Brackmann et al 2014; Brackmann et al 2015a). AVG reduces the gene expression of cell wall degrading enzymes, such as the polygalacturonases and cellulases (Li et al 2010)

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