| Abstract | dc.description.abstract | Since several years it’s common practice to apply CPPU (synthetic cytokinin)
in kiwifruit to obtain increased fruit size. However, conflicting results have been
reported regarding fruit behaviour during postharvest life. Since softening represents
a key limiting factor in quality and storage of kiwifruit, it is relevant to obtain information
regarding behaviour of CPPU-treated kiwifruit both at harvest and during
postharvest life under normal management conditions. Thus, trials were carried out
during two seasons in Central Chile, with CPPU being applied in two different
orchards in each season and with fruit being stored both under normal air (first
season) and CA (second season) conditions. In the first year (2005/2006), CPPU was
applied once at either 5 or 10 mg·L-1 and at 2 and 4 weeks after full bloom, while in the
second year (2006/2007) CPPU was used only at one date, 4 weeks after bloom, in both
concentrations. In the first year, CPPU application resulted in markedly increased
fruit growth, shifting the fruit to bigger size categories, while not adversely affecting
fruit quality at harvest, with the exception of somewhat reduced dry matter content.
Further on during postharvest life, CPPU not only did not result in increased
softening, but in some cases it actually reduced it, while it did not cause differences in
any of the other quality parameters, with the exception of somewhat reduced final
soluble solids in some cases, in general accordance with reduced dry matter content.
In the second year similar results were obtained following CPPU applications in terms
of fruit growth and quality at harvest. Analogously, no deleterious effects derived from
CPPU applications on softening and further quality parameters following postharvest
CA conditions were determined, although at harvest time some reduction in fruit dry
matter could be found. | en_US |
