Deciphering the Effect of Triacontanol and Salicylic Acid on Growth, Fruit Quality and Shelf Life of Strawberry cv. ‘Chandler’
摘要
A field experiment was conducted in 2021 and 2022 with the objective to study the effect of triacontanol (5 µM, 10 µM and 15 µM), salicylic acid (1 mM, 2 mM and 4 mM) and their combinations on strawberry cultivar ‘Chandler’. The results obtained revealed that among the treatments, 10 µM triacontanol + 2 mM salicylic acid exhibited the highest plant height (20.65 cm), plant spread (30.75 cm), number of leaves (23.16 cm), leaf area (101.61 cm2), chlorophyll content (63.67 SPAD value), petiole length (15.79 cm) and number of fruits per plant (14.67). Among the fruit quality parameters, 10 µM triacontanol + 2 mM salicylic acid also resulted in maximum fruit length (3.59 cm), fruit breadth (2.98 cm), fruit weight (17.54 g), fruit volume (15.78 cm3) and number of achenes per fruit (313.00). Biochemical fruit parameters also revealed the highest values when treated with 10 µM triacontanol + 2 mM salicylic acid, viz. 95.12%, 8.89°Brix, 15.61, 8.06%, 5.59%, 2.39% and 60.26 mg/100 g for juice content, total soluble solids (TSS), TSS:acid ratio, total sugars, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars and ascorbic acid, respectively, along with the lowest titratable acidity. During postharvest storage, minimum physiological loss in fruit weight was recorded in the fruits treated with 10 µM triacontanol + 2 mM salicylic acid. Our findings support the conclusion that the application of 10 µM triacontanol in combination with 2 mM salicylic acid resulted in the highest growth, fruit quality and shelf life of strawberry cultivar ‘Chandler’.