1Soil and water Management Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Kattuthottam, Thanjavur, 613 501, India
2Agricultural research Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Bhavanisagar-638 451. Erode District, India
3Horticultural Research Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Pechiparai-629 161, Kanyakumari District, India
Horticultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-641 003, India
Online published on 15 September, 2012.
Studies were conducted on the influence of pre harvest sprays on the physiological and biochemical changes of bhendi fruits (Cv. Arka Anamika) under storage. The response of bhendi fruits to pre-harvest spray on physiological loss in weight, ascorbic acid, crude fibre content and fruit freshness score were assessed. Among the pre-harvest spray of chemicals, CaCl (0.5%) has extended the shelf life of fruit for 10 days as against the control which started decaying from 6 day onwards. Similar trend was also observed for GA3 spray. A pre-harvest spray of 0.5 per cent CaCl2 decreased the ascorbic content from 7.12 (Day 2) to 2.02 (Day 10). This trend of response was not seen in GA3 treated fruits which decayed within 6 days after storage and behaved similar to control plants. In contrast to the ascorbic content, the crude fibre progressively increased with the advancement of storage period both in control and GA3 sprayed fruits which had increased the fibre content slightly that coincides with the extention of storage within 6 days. The treatment that has received pre-harvest foliar spray of 0.5 per cent CaCl2 (T6) had maintain higher score for an extended period of storage for 10 days.
Pre-harvest spray, Physiological changes, Bio-chemical, Changes, Bhendi, Storage
