In the 2019 campaign, the Fruit Crop Nutrition (NCF) group of the Aula Dei Experimental Station (EEAD-CSIC) carried out a trial on Primigian cherries for the company CULTIFORT, located in La Almunia de Doña Godina (Zaragoza).
The trial consisted of the application of 2 foliar treatments with FASKOLOR, at a dose of 300 cc/Hl, 21 and 15 days before harvest respectively, with the aim of advancing and homogenizing the ripening of cherries of early harvest varieties, whose main problem is the great heterogeneity in ripening, requiring 3 or 4 passes until total harvest.
Harvesting treatment with FASKOLOR It was carried out on May 27, 2019, coinciding with the moment in which the farmer made the first pass on the rest of the untreated trees, in order to evaluate in this way if on this harvest date, the production of ripe fruits of the trees treated with FASKOLOR was greater than that of the trees in the WITNESS group.
To carry out all quality determinations during harvest, all production was collected from the central tree of each experimental unit:
- From a sample of 50 fruits, the physical-chemical, destructive and non-destructive parameters were determined during harvesting.
- The remainder of the harvested production was classified by degrees of maturity (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Visual appearance of the different degrees of maturity analyzed.
In the quality parameters analyzed, significant differences were found that demonstrate a positive effect of the treatment FASKOLOR refering to maturity of the fruit. These parameters were as follows:
- Fruit firmnessGreater firmness of the fruits of the control group, indicative of a more delayed state of ripeness.
- Cross gaugeThe largest fruits were those treated with FASKOLOR.
- Soluble solids. A higher concentration was found in the fruits treated with FASKOLOR.
- Acidity (malic acid). Higher concentration of malic acid in the fruits that had received the treatment of FASKOLOR.
The weight of 120 fruits was collected from each treatment and block. The fruits that had been treated with FASKOLOR registered a higher average weight to the samples of the WITNESS group (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Weight (g) of 120 fruits at harvest.
In the color coordinates slight differences were observed, highlighting especially darker shades in fruits treated with FASKOLOR. It is necessary to highlight the increase of the value of the absorbance at 520 nm (index of the contained in anthocyans) in the fruits that had received treatment with FASKOLOR.
As for production according to the degree of maturity, the fruits treated with FASKOLOR presented a higher percentage of ripe fruits that the WITNESSES and, on the contrary, lower percentage of unripe fruits in maturity levels I and II (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Production percentages at the different stages of maturity evaluated.
