Abstract
ABSTRACT This study was carried out to assess the postharvest quality preservation of feijoa(Acca sellowiana Berg) flowers in response to treatments with different preservative solutions and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP). Recently opened feijoa flowers were harvested in the morning (between 8h and 10h) and immediately after pulsed with preservative solutions of salicylic acid, ascorbic acid and sucrose, all at doses of 0 (control), 2, 5 or 10%, and treated with 1-MCP at doses of 0 (control), 250, 500 or 1,000 nL L-1. Each trial with preservative solutions or 1-MCP treatment was a distinct experiment conducted in a completely randomized design with four replicates, each replicate with four flowers. After the treatment, the flowers were stored for 12 days at 10±1 oC and 85±5% RH. At every two-days intervals the flower petals were visually evaluated for wilting and darkening according to a hedonic scale varying from 1 (less intense) to 5 (more intense). Petal color was ranked from 1 (intense pink) to 5 (white). The 1-MCP at 500 nL L-1 and the salicylic acid (regardless of the dose) delayed the changes of petal color for up to eight and six days of storage, respectively. Flowers treated with salicylic acid, 1-MCP or ascorbic acid had a more substantial delay in petal wilting. Flowers treated with salicylic acid had wilting rank of 2 after six days of storage when treated with doses of 5% or 10%, and after eight days when treated with the dose of 2%, while flowers treated with 1-MCP at 500 and 1,000 nL L-1 and ascorbic acid at 2% and 5% had wilting rank of 2 after four days of storage. The most substantial delay of petal darkening (until the fourth day of storage) was achieved with 1-MCP at 500 nL L-1.
Highlights
The feijoa [Acca sellowiana (Berg.) Burret, synonymous Feijoa sellowiana (Berg.)], known as pineapple guava, “goiabeira-serrana” and “guayabo del pais”, belongs to the Myrtaceae family and it is native to the Brazilian southern plateau and northeastern Uruguay (THORP; BIELESKI, 2002)
In southern Brazil, the specie is well acclimated to wintry climates with occurrence predominating at altitudes above 800 m in wooded areas and in Araucaria forests (HICKEL; DUCROQUET, 2000)
The flowers for direct or indirect human consumption should be harvested at the time when the petals are entirely colored (THORP; BIELESKI, 2002; DUCROQUET; HICKEL, 1991)
Summary
The feijoa [Acca sellowiana (Berg.) Burret, synonymous Feijoa sellowiana (Berg.)], known as pineapple guava, “goiabeira-serrana” (in Brazil) and “guayabo del pais” (in Uruguay), belongs to the Myrtaceae family and it is native to the Brazilian southern plateau and northeastern Uruguay (THORP; BIELESKI, 2002). In southern Brazil, the specie is well acclimated to wintry climates with occurrence predominating at altitudes above 800 m in wooded areas and in Araucaria forests (HICKEL; DUCROQUET, 2000). It is a shrub or small tree, which features ornamental characteristic by the elegance of blue-green canopy and beauty of its flowers, which can be used in urban or residential ornamentation. The flowers for direct or indirect (dish decoration) human consumption should be harvested at the time when the petals are entirely colored (wide open and exposing the numerous anthers and the stigma) (THORP; BIELESKI, 2002; DUCROQUET; HICKEL, 1991). The petals of feijoa flowers lose their color, switching from intense rose to purple and, turning white and not being appropriate anymore for consumption
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