Department of Horticulture, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.
* Present address: Department of Horticulture, S.K. University of Agriculture & Technology, Shalimar, Srinagar.
Patharnakh pear trees were sprayed at preharvest stage with CaCl2 and Ca(NO3)2. The fruit was harvested at full maturity and analysed for Ca content of peel, flesh and core. An increase in Ca content of 76.4 and 38.4 per cent in peel and flesh was recorded while a non-significant increase was observed in case of core with all CaCl2 and Ca(NO3)2 treatments. Preharvest calcium nitrate treatment at 4 per cent registered 28.8 and 13.3 per cent increase in peel and flesh Ca content. The fruit firmness was found to have positive correlation with preharvest sprays, and peel and flesh Ca content. However, a negative correlation was found to exist between fruit firmness and N/Ca ratio of peel and flesh. The physiological weight loss was reduced from 20.5 to 9.4 per cent with 4 per cent CaCl2 treatment and decay percentage from 10.4 to zero level.
