Calcium chloride delays senescence and increases post harvest quality of atemoya ‘Thompson’

Abstract

The post-harvest life of annonaceae is limited by physiological deterioration, caused by accelerated ripening and the development of pathogens that cause rot. A technique that has been shown to be an alternative in controlling and delaying post-harvest alterations is the application of calcium chloride (CaCl₂) as a regulator of the ripening of fruits and vegetables. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the conservation of the postharvest quality of 'Thompson' atemoya as a function of the immersion of the fruits in different concentrations of calcium chloride. A completely randomized design in a 4x6 factorial scheme (CaCl₂ concentrations x days of storage), with four replications was used. Calcium chloride concentrations evaluated were: 0, 2, 4 and 6%. The fruits were stored refrigerated in a B.O.D. at 15±1 °C and 70±5% RH for 15 days, being evaluated every three days for weight loss, soluble solids, maturation index, luminosity, ºHue, chroma and respiratory rate. The application of 6% calcium chloride is an alternative for maintaining the quality of atemoya, mainly in color preservation, weight loss, lower respiration rate and delay in respiratory peak. Under these conditions, the fruits can be kept for up to 15 days under refrigeration (15ºC) for commercialization and consumption. For the other concentrations, the fruits remained suitable for commercialization until the 12th day of storage.