425964

Effect of Preharvest Spray of Different Calcium Sources on Quality Attributes and Storability of Strawberry Fruits.

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Last updated: 11 May 2025

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Abstract

This study was carried out on strawberry cv. Fortuna during the two successive winter seasons of 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 to study the effect of foliar spray of strawberry plants with different calcium sources (calcium nitrate, calcium lactate, and calcium citrate) at a concentration of 0.5% compared with untreated plants as control (sprayed with water only) on the quality and storability of strawberry fruits. The results revealed that strawberries obtained from plants treated with all used calcium sources resulted in significant increases in physical properties such as fruit length, average fruit weight, and firmness, and in chemical properties such as total soluble solids, ascorbic acid, total sugars content, and calcium concentration in the fruits compared to fruits obtained from untreated plants. However, there were no significant differences found among all treatments and the control regarding fruit diameter and titratable acidity. Additionally, all different calcium sources were effective in preserving fruit quality characteristics, which decreased weight loss, preserved fruit firmness, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, and total sugars content, reduced color development and preserving the overall appearance of strawberries throughout the storage periods and shelf life compared to untreated fruits. The study recommends that strawberries cv. Fortuna obtained from plants sprayed with calcium lactate improved fruit quality characteristics at harvest, enhanced storability, maintaining the quality characteristics of the fruits and gave an excellent appearance of fruits after 15 days of storage at 0 ºC plus 2 days at 10 ºC (shelf life) without any decay. 

DOI

10.21608/hrj.2025.425964

Keywords

strawberry, Calcium Nitrate, calcium lactate, Calcium citrate, storability

Authors

First Name

Noura A.

Last Name

Gad El-Rab

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Affiliation

Postharvest and Handling of Vegetable Crops Research Department, Horticulture Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt

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First Name

Mohsen EL. M.

Last Name

Saad

MiddleName

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Affiliation

Postharvest and Handling of Vegetable Crops Research Department, Horticulture Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt

Email

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City

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Orcid

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First Name

Sheren A.

Last Name

Atala

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Affiliation

Postharvest and Handling of Vegetable Crops Research Department, Horticulture Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt

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Volume

3

Article Issue

2

Related Issue

55087

Issue Date

2025-03-01

Receive Date

2025-05-04

Publish Date

2025-03-01

Page Start

63

Page End

82

Online ISSN

2974-4474

Link

https://hrj.journals.ekb.eg/article_425964.html

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http://journals.ekb.eg?_action=service&article_code=425964

Order

425,964

Type

Original Article

Type Code

2,780

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Horticulture Research Journal

Publication Link

https://hrj.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Effect of Preharvest Spray of Different Calcium Sources on Quality Attributes and Storability of Strawberry Fruits.

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Article

Created At

11 May 2025