Effects of calcium chloride and salicylic acid on quality traits and storage life of plum cultivar

This study was conducted for evaluating the effects of two chemicals on quality and shelf-life of plum cultivar "Golden Drop". The experiment was carried out with five treatments and six weeks storage as a factorial experiment with a complete randomized design with three replications. The quality characteristics of fruit such as weight loss, fruit firmness, soluble solids contents, pH, titratable acidity and ascorbic acid were assessed in summer 2010 at flowering biology and developmental physiology lab, University of Tabriz. Treatments were the concentrations of 60 and 80 mM calcium chloride and 1 and 3 mM salicylic acid and distilled water (control treatment). After treatment with dipping method, fruits kept into a cold room with a temperature of 1-2 °C and 80% relative humidity and then qualitative parameters were measured every week. Results showed that effect of treatment and time was significant in all characteristics at 1%. Time and treatment interaction on fruit firmness and soluble solids contents was not significant, whilst interaction effect treatment and time on weight loss, pH, titratable acidity in statistical level 1% and ascorbic acid content had significant diversity in statistical levels 5%. Mean comparisons showed that between control and other treatments were significant differences in all characteristics. Calcium chloride solution of 60 mM was the best treatment for the maintenance fruits vitamine C content.