Farag, K., Nagy, N., Elnoam, S. (2017). Retardation of Rutab Development of "Zaghloul" Dates and Enhancing Bunch Ripening Uniformity by Preharvest Application of Calcium and the Antiethylene Compound 1- Amino Cyclopropene, 1- Mcp.. Journal of Plant Production, 8(9), 907-911. doi: 10.21608/jpp.2017.40899
K. M. Farag; Neven M. N. Nagy; Safaa M. Elnoam. "Retardation of Rutab Development of "Zaghloul" Dates and Enhancing Bunch Ripening Uniformity by Preharvest Application of Calcium and the Antiethylene Compound 1- Amino Cyclopropene, 1- Mcp.". Journal of Plant Production, 8, 9, 2017, 907-911. doi: 10.21608/jpp.2017.40899
Farag, K., Nagy, N., Elnoam, S. (2017). 'Retardation of Rutab Development of "Zaghloul" Dates and Enhancing Bunch Ripening Uniformity by Preharvest Application of Calcium and the Antiethylene Compound 1- Amino Cyclopropene, 1- Mcp.', Journal of Plant Production, 8(9), pp. 907-911. doi: 10.21608/jpp.2017.40899
Farag, K., Nagy, N., Elnoam, S. Retardation of Rutab Development of "Zaghloul" Dates and Enhancing Bunch Ripening Uniformity by Preharvest Application of Calcium and the Antiethylene Compound 1- Amino Cyclopropene, 1- Mcp.. Journal of Plant Production, 2017; 8(9): 907-911. doi: 10.21608/jpp.2017.40899
Retardation of Rutab Development of "Zaghloul" Dates and Enhancing Bunch Ripening Uniformity by Preharvest Application of Calcium and the Antiethylene Compound 1- Amino Cyclopropene, 1- Mcp.
1Department of Horticulture (Pomology), Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, P.O.Box 22516, Damanhour, Egypt.
2Horticulture Research Institute, Egypt.
Abstract
Consumption of "Zaghloul" date fruits is highly demanded especially at the bisr stage. Date growers complain about the non-uniformity of the bunch that leads to greater loss of fruits either due to increase abscission prior harvest or deterioration of dates at the rutab stage. This study utilized the antiethlyene-action compound, namely 1-Methylcyclopropene along with calcium near maturity to inhibit the ripening (rutab development) of the dates that already have reached to the bisr stage, while the dates that were still near the end of the kimri stage continued to grow. Dates were preharvest sprayed during the two consecutive seasons 2015 and 2016 to the run off by using a hand sprayer. The treatments included the control (water), 1- MCP at (50 ppm) known as Smart Fresh, as an aqueous spray, CaCl2 (2%, w/v), glycerol (1 %, v/v), 1-MCP followed by CaCl2, 1-MCP followed by CaCl2 plus glycerol, and finally CaCl2 plus glycerol at the same above concentrations. The whole bunches of all replications were harvested and sorted for their content of various ripening stages, namely bisr, semi- dry and rutab. The data revealed that almost all fruits were at the bisr stage at harvest time during the two seasons when they were treated first with 1- MCP followed by CaCl2 plus glycerol, while the control bunches had significantly lower percentage of bisr dates as compared with the above treatments. Meanwhile, dates treated with 1- MCP followed by CaCl2 plus glycerol had significantly greater anthocyanin content at harvest than that of the control in both seasons. Furthermore, all 1- MCP- treated fruits had significantly lower leakage of electrolytes than that of the control dates. In conclusion, this study provided a practical evidence for the possibility of utilizing 1- MCP as a mean of enhancing uniformity and delaying the progress towards the ripening of "Zaghloul" dates and extending the bisr stage.