@Article{phyton.2017.86.131, AUTHOR = {Muñoz FF, VE Ruiz, CA Bouzo}, TITLE = {Effect of preharvest foliar sprays of calcium nitrate on melon fruit quality}, JOURNAL = {Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany}, VOLUME = {86}, YEAR = {2017}, NUMBER = {all}, PAGES = {131--136}, URL = {http://www.techscience.com/phyton/v86nall/36792}, ISSN = {1851-5657}, ABSTRACT = {The aim of this work was to study the effect of preharvest foliar spraying with calcium nitrate solutions on the fruit melon quality. Treatments included a combination of five solutions with Ca(NO3)2 (0.0; 1.3; 2.6; 5.2 and 10.5 g/L) and two postharvest storage environments [(24.0 ± 1.5 °C and 6.4 ± 0,8 mbar of vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and 10.0 ± 0.5 °C and 3.0 ± 0.5 mbar (VPD)]. Fruits stored at 24 °C for 11 days had the lowest water loss with treatments 1.3 and 2.6 g/L Ca (NO3)2. It was observed that at both 24 °C and 10 °C, fruits that had a greater firmness at the 2.6 and 5.2 g/L of Ca(NO3)2 treatments, respectively. No differences (P>0.05) were observed in total soluble solids (TSS) between treatments and storage environments. However, spotting of the epidermis of the fruits increased as the Ca(NO3)2 concentration also increased.}, DOI = {10.32604/phyton.2017.86.131} }