MINIMIZING THE TRANSPLANT DECAY DEVELOPMENT VIA CA APPLICATION AND MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE INCREASED STRAWBERRY YIELD

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Vegetable Research Department, Horticulture Research Institute, Dokky, Gizza.

2 Horticulture Department, Fac. of Agric., Ain Shams Univ., Shobra El-Kheima

Abstract

This study was carried out at the Strawberry Improvement Center Experimental Farm, Nobaria, Beheira Governorate and the Horticulture Research Station, Bar-rage, Kalubia Governorate during 2001/2002 and 2002/2003 seasons. The study aimed to investigate the effect of calcium nutrition (0, 13and 26 kg/fed. Ca) and modified atmosphere storage (10,20, 30 and 40% CO2) on the post harvest decay of cold stored strawberry transplants and their subsequent fruit production. The results indicated that increasing the rate of calcium application during the transplant growth period and carbon dioxide concentration around transplants during the cold storage resulted in significant decrements in transplant decay, infection percentage, disease severity of roots and crowns. There was a positive relationship between cal-cium nutrition and early yield. Moreover, the highest calcium rate gave the highest total yield while no significant difference was noticed between control and 13 kg/fed treatments. This study concluded that adding Ca++ at 26 Kg /fed as fertiga-tion of calcium nitrate (13% Ca) to the growing strawberry transplants followed by modified atmosphere storage (40% CO2) during the prolonged cold storage allowed maintenance of transplant quality and increased their yield while minimizing decay development.

Keywords

Arab Universities Journal of Agricultural Sciences
Volume 13, Issue 2
September 2005
Pages 501-511

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