Summer-Pruning and Preharvest Calcium Chloride Sprays Affect Storability in Kiwifruit cv. Hayward

Kiwifruit is a good source of natural antioxidant substances, in particular vitamin C. The studies on kiwifruit post harvest handling and storability would be helpful in marketability of high quality fruits and indeed it would be beneficial to our country’s economy. In order to examine the effects of summer pruning combined with calcium chloride spray and duration of storage on some quality features of kiwifruit, the present research was undertaken as a complete block design in factorial arrangement with four replications.
The project was conducted during 2008-9 in a commercial orchard in Chalos, Iran. The CaCl2 was applied in four concentrations (0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 %) and pruning was carried out in four levels including no pruning, leaving 2, 4, 8 leaves after the last fruit. Storage period included four levels between two to six months.
It was found that, summer pruning could increase calcium content of pulp. The total soluble solids decreased by pruning treatments but no significant changes were recorded for other quantitative traits. Calcium chloride applications significantly enhanced calcium content of pulp section (p The results showed that the treatments had a significant effect on some traits and summer pruning improves fruit calciums. Absolute increasing on fruit calcium density means sprayed calcium can penetrate in fruit epiderm and it can be because of weakness in cell membrane during development that can simplify calcium penetration. Also, summer pruning can increase fruit quality and improving antioxidant system and vitamin C by effect on light and air circulate in tree canopy and can increase calcium density in fruit texture by enhancing transpiration in fruits, because cutting the end part of developing shoots make reduction in competition between element absorption especially calcium element and make it flowed to set fruit.