INFLUENCE OF CALCIUM CHLORIDE (CaCl2) ON FRUIT QUALITY OF PEAR (Pyrus communis) CV. LE CONTE DURING STORAGE

An experiment was conducted at Postharvest laboratory, Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, during 2010 to evaluate the “Influence of calcium chloride (CaCl2) on fruit quality of pear (Pyrus communis) cv. Le-conte”. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three factors i.e. CaCl2 concentration (0, 3, 6 and 9%), dipping time (5, 10 and 15 minutes) and storage durations (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 days). The maximum ascorbic acid (7.93 mg/100 g), reducing sugar (5.86%), while the least percent weight loss (4.52%), pH of fruit juice (4.42), total soluble solids (TSS) (19.83%) and percent disease incidence (2.56%) were observed in fruits treated with 9% CaCl2 solution. The dipping time also significantly influenced the quality attributes of pear fruits during storage. The more ascorbic acid (6.88 mg/100 g) and reducing sugar (5.44%) were recorded in the pear fruits dipped for 15 minutes. Storage duration significantly affected the fruit quality during 40 days storage. The highest reducing sugar recorded in fresh pear fruits while the highest ascorbic acid (7.83 mg/100 g) were observed in pear fruit stored for 10 days storage duration, while more non-reducing sugar (7.03%) recorded in the fruits stored for 30 days. In the interaction of CaCl2 concentration × dipping time, the highest total soluble solid (31.88%) noted in the fruits stored for 40 days and dipped for 5 minutes in CaCl2 solution. It is concluded that pear fruit perform best in the postharvest life when treated with 9% CaCl2 solution and dipped for 15 minutes. It retained most of the quality attributes up to 10 days storage at ambient temperature while a significant decline was recorded in fruit quality when extended the storage duration from 20 to 40 days.