Effect of foliar application of calcium chloride on quality characteristics of peach cv. “Shan-i-Punjab”

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of calcium chloride on quality and storage life of peach fruits. The investigation was carried out during the year 2010 at Punjab Agricultural University, India, under sub-tropical environmental conditions, on mature ‘Shan-i-Punjab’ peach plants planted at a spacing of 6×1.5m on fine-textured soil rich in Calcium. Ten years old peach plants were sprayed with calcium chloride (0.5%, 1% and 1.5%) at pit hardening stage, 10 and 20 days after pit hardening. Plants unsprayed with calcium were kept for control. The fruits were harvest at physiological mature stage, stored at 0-1°C and 99% RH. The fruits were analyzed for various physio-chemical characteristics at 0,10,20 and 30days after harvesting. Chloride-1.5% (3 sprays) was significantly effective in maintaining mean physiological loss in weight, fruit firmness, TSS, acidity,TSS: acid ratio, increasing calcium content of fruits and reducing fruit spoilage