Effects of Intermittent Warming and Prestorage Treatments (Hot Water, Salicylic Acid, Calcium Chloride) on Postharvest Life of Pomegranate Fruit cv. ‘Shishe-Kab’ during Long-Term Cold Storage

Abstract

We examined the effectiveness of intermittent warming (IW), hot water (HW), salicylic acid (SA), and calcium chloride (CaCl₂) on the postharvest life of pomegranate fruit cv. ‘Shishe-Kab' and extending fruit shelf life during cold storage (3°C). Fruit were subjected to cycles of 1 d at 17 ± 1°C every 6 d of storage at 3°C under IW conditions. Pre-storage treatments were HW (50°C) for 3 min, SA (2mmol L^-1), or a combination of SA (2 mmol L^-1) and CaCl₂ (2%) solutions for 3 min at 20°C. Weight loss was not affected by HW or chemical treatments, but firmness decreased significantly in HW-treated fruit when they were subjected to IW. The lowest quantity of unmarketable fruit was observed in fruit treated with a combination of SA and CaCl₂, regardless of whether stored in cold storage (CS) or exposed to IW. Regardless of HW and chemical treatments, IW significantly albeit slightly increased shelf life and reduced fruit decay compared with the control. However, the longest fruit shelf life (19 wk) was obtained with a combination of HW, SA, and CaCl₂ compared with the control (11 wk), especially under long-term cold storage.