Effect of Chitosan and Calcium Chloride to Reduce Postharvest Rot and Different Quality Attributes on Siah mashhad Sweetcherry

The use of natural compounds to control plant pathogens lead to reduction in using fungicides. Chitosan with duble effects, control pathogenic microorganisms and activate inducing defence responses, has been shown to be a reliable nontoxic material in the plant-pathogen interaction. The aim of this research was to consider the effects of chitosan and calcium chloride on decay and quality attributes of sweet cherry cv. Siah mashhad. This experiment was conducted factorially in the figure of completely randomized design with five replications. Treatments were included of chitosan (0, %0.5 and %1) and Calcium Chloride (0, %1 and %2) and time (20 and 40 days). Measuring factors was included total soluble solids (TSS), titrable acidity (TA), partability index (PI), pH, weight loss, fruit decay. The results showed that application of chitosan %0.5 alone lead to stabilize soluble solids, organic acid, pH and fruit weight, also partability index and fruit rot was decreased. In short time storage (20 days) CaCl2 stabilize organic acids and fruit weight and caused partability index, pH, fruit decay to be decreased but fruit soluble solids increased. In total simple treatment of calcium chloride and chitosn showed better results compared to combination treatments on measured parameters.