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EFFECT OF SALICYLIC ACID TREATMENTS ON STORAGE LIFE OF PEACH FRUITS CV. ‘FLORDAKING’

MUHAMMAD JAVED TAREEN, NADEEM AKHTAR ABBASI^* AND ISHFAQ AHMAD HAFIZ

Abstract: In order to determine the effects of salicylic acid (SA) on postharvest life and quality of peach fruits, four different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0 mmol L^-1) were applied to peach fruits cv. ‘Flordaking’. Fruits harvested at commercial maturity were washed, dipped for five minutes in SA solutions and stored at 0ºC with 90% RH on the same day for a period of five weeks. Lower SA concentrations did not offer any significant effect on quality parameters of peach fruits when compared with control. However, SA at 2.0 mmol L^-1 concentration significantly exhibited less weight loss, higher flesh firmness, increased SSC, higher TA contents, higher skin luminosity and decreased a* values compared with other treatments including control. Consequently, SA at 2.0 mmol L^-1 concentration also showed a significant increase in ascorbic acid and total phenolics content while, relative electrical conductivity was reduced during five weeks of storage. Thus, the present results suggest that SA at 2.0 mmol L^-1 concentration could be used commercially to preserve peach fruits for up to five weeks without any spoilage.

Department of Horticulture, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Corresponding author’s Email: nadeemabbasi65@yahoo.com