Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
JOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, cilt.2024, sa.4, ss.1-17, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
Foliar calcium (Ca) treatment exhibits strong potential for enhancing yield and quality in some fruit crops. Tis study aimed to
assess the impact of foliar application of Ca-organomineral (Ca-OM) suspension on total soluble solids (TSS) and Ca dynamics in
leaves and berries across fve red currant cultivars during the vegetation and storage. A randomized block design with two
treatments: (1) Control (without Ca-OM treatment) and (2) foliar Ca-OM treatment, with three repetitions, was applied on fve
diferent red currant cultivars. Although foliar Ca-OM treatments did not impact Ca or TSS in leaves, they positively infuenced
Ca and TSS in fruits, displaying signifcant variability among cultivars. In addition, Ca-OM treatment increased berry density,
reduced abscission, and inhibited the development of diseases, extending storage periods for “Lvovyanka,” “Vika,” and “Gazel”
cultivars by three to seven days compared to the Ca-OM untreated control. Ca-OM treatment in the early stages of the ontogenesis
of currants provided a high percentage of Ca intake in berries. At the stage of complete maturation, the Ca content in berries
decreased and depended on the ripening period of the cultivars. Before harvesting, Ca-OM increased the strength of berries (Fc)
and reduced the shedding of berries in the clusters (Fs). At the vegetation stage, Ca-OM increased TSS in berries, and the content
of TSS depended on the genotype and weather conditions. Te Ca-OM treatment and low temperatures contributed to preserving
berry density, reducing the shedding of berries and PLW, and restraining the development of diseases during storage. In addition,
the high content of TSS and Ca in berries against the background of a slow rate of decrease in berry density in the Ca-OM variants
ensured an extension of the shelf life of “Lvovyanka,” “Vika,” and “Gazel” by three to seven days compared to the control untreated
with Ca-OM. Clustering analyses identifed these cultivars as similar in terms of TSS and calcium content in fruits, emphasizing
their common traits. Te study underscores the potential of foliar Ca treatment to enhance berry quality during growth and
storage, signifcantly improve storage duration, and fortify resistance against adverse factors, presenting promising opportunities
for elevating yield and quality in specifc red currant cultivars.