Effect of pre-harvest putrescine treatment on quality and postharvest life of pear cv. Spadona

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the effect of pre-harvest foliar spraying with putrescine (at 0.5, 1 and 2 mM) on quality and postharvest life of Pyrus communis cv. Spadona during cold storage. Fruit quality assessment such as weight loss, firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), flavor index, skin color (L*, hue angle), vitamin C total phenol (TP), and total antioxidant activity (TAA) were made at harvest and after 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21 weeks of storage at 0±1°C, 80-85% relative humidity. Weight loss, fruit softening, TSS and pH increased during storage but the rate of changes was significantly lower in fruit treated with putrescine at 1 and 2 mM. Putrescine application maintained higher levels of TA, vitamin C, TP, TAA, L*, hue angle and reduced decay incidence compared to control. Furthermore, higher doses of putrescine were effective in terms of prolonging the storage and marketability of fruits more than 127-142 days. In conclusion, pre-harvest application of putrescine could be an effective means for extending the postharvest life of pear cv. Spadona.