Research article

ANTI-TRANSPIRATION EFFECT OF DISPER CU MAX, PACKAGING METHOD, AND ENCAPSULATION ON SOME STORAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF POMEGRANATE, PUNICA GRANATUM

Zena Hazbar Khazaal

Online First: February 22, 2023


The experiment was conducted on the pomegranate fruits, salimi cultivar in a cold store belonging to the College of Agriculture, University of Diyala, and the chemical properties were measured in the laboratory of the College of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture and Landscaping, University of Diyala, where pomegranate fruits of almost identical size and weight were selected from an orchard in Al-Wajihiya district during the agricultural season (2021), where the pomegranate fruits were taken on 11/20/2121. A factorial experiment was conducted with two factors, the first factor included the anti-transpiration of Disper Cu Max with three concentrations: 0, 400, and 600 mg. L-1, the second factor included three packing methods for pomegranate fruits: without packing (the control treatment), polyethylene bags, and paper bags.The results were analyzed according to Duncan's polynomial test at a probability level of 0.05, and the results showed that the treatment of fruits with the anti-transpiration Disper Cu Max had a significant effect, as the concentration of 600 mg. L-1 led to a decrease in the change of the weight percentage, the percentage of fruits damage, the change of the respiratory percentage, and it was superior in the change of the total acidity percentage, as well as giving the least amount of change in the percentage of fruit firmness and the highest percentage of change in the anthocyanin pigment compared to the control. The percentage of change in total soluble solids (TSS) was not significantly affected by the anti-transpiration of Disper Cu Max and packaging methods compared to the control treatment. The packaging methods had a significant effect on the results of the study, where the polyethylene bags led to a reduction in the percentage of fruits weight loss and the paper bags reduced the change in the percentage of fruit damage and reduced change in the respiratory percentage, and also gave the highest percentage of fruit firmness and the highest percentage of anthocyanin pigment. The two methods of packing did not differ in the amount of change in the percentage of total acidity compared with the control treatment.

Keywords

Pomegranate, Disper Cu Max and packing methods