Rivera Torres, Elena

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    Efectos de bioestimulantes sobre la productividad, calidad de fruta y deterioro postcosecha de papaya (𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗮) y parcha (𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗶𝘀)
    (2021-12-09) Rivera Torres, Elena; Morales Payán, José P.; College of Agricultural Sciences; Pérez Muñoz, Fernando; Ferwerda, Feiko H.; Department of Food Science and Technology; Ferrer López, José R.
    The use of biostimulant treatments in agriculture can help obtain benefits to improve the productivity of a crop and its postharvest life. The tests of this research were carried out in the Agricultural Experiment Stations of Isabela and Lajas, and in the Fruit Trees and Organic Crops Laboratory of the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. The purpose of the investigation was to evaluate the effect of commercial biostimulants on vegetative growth, yield and postharvest deterioration of papaya 'Tainung 1' and passionfruit 'Variety M'. The treatments were applied to the soil, using approximately 3.8 liters (one gallon) of water per plant, every two weeks. The dose per plant on each application date was 1.5 ml of the peptide formulation, 4 ml of the fulvic acid formulation, 10 ml of the betaine formulation and the control treatment (without application of bioestimulant). Production and postharvest evaluations were carried out for both crops. After harvesting, commercial samples were stored at two temperatures (10 and 20 ° C) and their deterioration was evaluated. In neither of the two crops, there was a significant treatment effect on the vegetative variables. Papayas stored at 20 °C had to be discarded 7 days after starting the experiment, since they deteriorated rapidly. In addition, they showed greater weight loss, even being stored for less time. There was a significant decrease in the weight of seeds and aril, weight of peel with pulp, polar diameter, equatorial diameter, soluble solids, and titratable acidity in papayas treated with fulvic acid and stored at 10 °C. On the contrary, the betaine treatment obtained a significant increase in the content of acidity, soluble solids, weight of peel with pulp, weight of seeds with aril and in the polar diameter of papayas stored at 10 °C. The betaine treatment turned out to be the treatment with the greatest weight loss in the patches stored at 10 and 20 ° C. Otherwise, the peptide treatment turned out to be the treatment with the least number of fruits harvested per plant in the passionfruits. It was even observed that the peel color of the patches stored at 10 ° C and treated with the peptide treatment was mainly due to the yellow tonality (positive value of b) and to a lesser extent to the red tonality (positive value of a), and the combination of both resulted in a deep yellow color with orange hues. Betaine registered the lowest amount of total soluble solids in the patches. However, at 10 °C, the peptide treatment registered a higher quantity of soluble solids than the control, while fulvic acid was the treatment that registered the highest quantity of soluble solids at a temperature of 20 °C. Positive results obtained from the use of biostimulants, such as increased soluble solids or delayed spoilage, can be valuable to producers and other stakeholders in food storage.