ABSTRACT

Aril browning is a serious physiological disorder and major fruit quality anomaly in red-coloured pomegranates, under environmental stress such as temperature extremes. In this study, the single and combined effect of foliar nutrition with calcium, boron, and potassium on aril browning in ‘Rabab’ cultivar pomegranate (Punica granatumL.), were evaluated. Experimental factors were foliar nutrition with boric acid (0 and 2 gL⁻¹), – calcium chelate (0 and 20 gL⁻¹) and potassium chloride (0 and 20 gL⁻¹). Results showed that the effect of foliar nutrition with potassium chloride, boric acid, and calcium chelate significantly reduced the browning index by 92.6%. Increment of fruit potassium content had a positive and significant correlation with fruit juice percentage (r = 0.96**), total soluble solids (r = 0.93**), and total acid (r = 0.83**), which had a significant and positive correlation with fruit juice total anthocyanin, phenolic and flavonoid content and negative correlation with the browning index. Foliar application of boric acid and calcium chelates a week before full bloom and four weeks after full bloom and their application along with potassium chloride before fruit ripening can be a new strategy to improve this complication. This recommended strategy could increase export profits by up to 75%.

摘要

在极端温度等环境压力下，红石榴中的假种皮褐变是一种严重的生理疾病，并且是主要的水果品质异常。在这项研究中，评估了叶面营养与钙，硼和钾对'Rabab'品种石榴（Punica granatum L.）的假种褐变的单一和联合作用。实验因素是叶面营养与硼酸（0和2 gL的^-1）， -钙螯合物（0-20 gL的^-1）和氯化钾（0和20 gL的^-1）。结果表明，叶面营养与氯化钾，硼酸和螯合钙的作用使褐变指数显着降低了92.6％。水果钾含量的增加与果汁百分比（r = 0.96 **），总可溶性固形物（r = 0.93 **）和总酸（r = 0.83 **）呈正相关，且显着相关。与果汁中总花色苷，酚和类黄酮含量呈正相关，与褐变指数呈负相关。在盛花前一周和盛花后四周叶面施用硼酸和钙螯合剂，以及在果实成熟前与氯化钾一起施用是改善这种并发症的新策略。建议的策略可以使出口利润增加多达75％。