In the present research two experiments were performed to evaluate the effect of pre-harvest salicylic acid (SA), acetyl salicylic acid (ASA), and methyl salicylate (MeSa), applied as a foliar spray to pomegranate “Mollar de Elche,” on crop yield, fruit quality parameters, and bioactive compounds at harvest and during storage. In the 2017 experiment, trees were treated with SA, ASA, and MeSa at 1, 5, and 10 mM and a higher crop yield (kg tree^–1 and number of harvested fruit tree^–1) and quality parameters (firmness, aril color, and individual sugars and organic acids) at harvest were obtained, as well as a higher concentration of phenolics, anthocyanins, and ascorbic acid. The best results were achieved with 10 mM dose of the three assayed compounds, which was chosen for the 2018 experiment, and results for crop yield and fruit quality attributes were confirmed. These quality traits and the concentration of phenolics, anthocyanins, and ascorbic acid were maintained at higher levels in pomegranate fruit from treated trees than in controls during prolonged storage at 10°C. In addition, the effects of salicylate treatments on increasing total and individual anthocyanin concentration in pomegranate arils led to arils with a deeper red color (Graphical Abstract) and, in turn, fruit that would be more appreciated in the international market. This fact, together with the increased crop yield, would contribute to the increased profit of this crop. Thus, pre-harvest treatment with salicylates, and especially SA at 10 mM concentration, could be a safe, natural, and new tool to improve fruit quality and its content on antioxidant compounds with health beneficial effects (namely, ascorbic acid, phenolics, and anthocyanins) at harvest and during storage.

在本研究中，进行了两个实验，以评估收获前水杨酸（SA），乙酰水杨酸（ASA）和水杨酸甲酯（MeSa）的叶面喷施对石榴“ Mollar de Elche”的影响。收获时和储存期间的农作物产量，水果质量参数和生物活性化合物。在2017年的实验中，分别以1、5和10 mM的SA，ASA和MeSa处理树木，并提高了作物产量（公斤树^–1和收获的果树数量^–1））和质量参数（硬度，假种皮颜色以及各种糖和有机酸）的获取，以及更高浓度的酚类，花色苷和抗坏血酸。用10 mM剂量的三种测定的化合物获得了最佳结果，将其用于2018年实验，并确认了作物产量和果实品质属性的结果。在长期保存于10°C的过程中，处理过的树的石榴果实中的这些品质特征以及酚类，花色苷和抗坏血酸的浓度保持在较高水平。此外，水杨酸盐处理对石榴假种皮中总花青素和单个花青素浓度增加的影响导致假种皮具有较深的红色（图形概要），进而在国际市场上会更受欢迎。这一事实，加上农作物增产，将有助于增加农作物的利润。因此，使用水杨酸酯，尤其是浓度为10 mM的SA进行收获前处理，可能是一种安全，天然且新的工具，可以提高水果质量及其对抗氧化化合物的含量，对健康有益（抗坏血酸，酚类和花青素）在收获时和储存期间。