Effects of Post–Harvest Dippings of Calcium Chloride and Calcium Oxide on Storage Quality of Pink Lady Apple Cultivar

Fruit of Pink Lady apple cultivar obtained from apple production orchards of a producer in Çanakkale Kepez region. Apples were dipped into solutions of calcium chloride and calcium oxide (both at the concentrations of 2 and 4%) in order to determine their post harvest quality effects. Control fruits were exposed to distilled water. The apples were stored at 0oC and 90% relative humidity for 6 months at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture. Quality parameters, such as flesh firmness, ethylene production, total phenolics content, titratable acidity, soluble solids, flesh and skin color, were analyzed on the fruits taken out of at the 2nd, 4th and 6th months. It was observed that 2% calcium oxide dipping provided better results in almost all of the quality aspects, followed by 4% and 2% calcium chloride solutions. Calcium oxide at 4% negatively impacted the quality due to its corrosive effect.