Preharvest calcium and irrigation regime affects postharvest quality of cape gooseberry fruit (Physalis peruviana L.)

Abstract

The cultivation of cape gooseberry in Colombia has increased in recent years, both in terms of export volume and production; however, yield has decreased by 19%. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate major factors that affect fruit production and postharvest behavior such as irrigation and calcium fertilization. A design with three randomized blocks was used that corresponded to the irrigation frequency (4, 9 and 14 days), each with 12 treatments composed of a factorial arrangement with four irrigation regimes (0.7, 0.9, 11 and 1.3 multiplying factor of the class A tank evaporation) and three doses of calcium (0, 50 and 100 kg ha-1). The calcium dose of 100 kg ha-1 resulted in fruits with a lower mass loss (8%), lower total soluble solids (TSS) content (15.74 °Brix) and greater firmness (11.03 N) at the end of storage. The fruits retained better quality with the application of 100 kg ha-1 of calcium, along with an irrigation coefficient of 0.9 applied at four days interval; however, the fruits had a lower TSS content. The luminosity of the fruits and the chroma from blue to yellow (b*) decreased during the postharvest period, while the chroma from green to red (a*) and the color index increased. This research provides practical information for farmers, suggesting precise irrigation and calcium nutrition strategies to improve the post-harvest performance of cape gooseberry fruits.