A Study on Effects of Chemical Fertilizer and Organic Manures on Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa, cv. Hayward) Quality during Cold Storage

علوم باغبانی

Article 2, Volume 37, Issue 2 - Serial Number 58, August 2023, Pages 307-324   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/jhs.2022.70366.1054

Authors

Masumeh Kiaeshkevarian^{* 1}; Tahereh Raiesi²; Bijan Moradi³; Javad Fattahi Moghadam³; Maziyar Faghih Nasiri³

¹Instructor in Citrus and Subtropical Fruits Research Center, Horticultural Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Ramsar, Iran

²Citrus and Subtropical Fruit Research Center, Horticultural Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research and Education Organization (AREO), Ramsar, Iran

³Citrus and Subtropical Fruits Research Center, Horticultural Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Ramsar, Iran

Abstract

Introduction
 Consumers demand for organic products is increasing due to their awareness of health and nutritional quality. Organic manures maintain soil health and ecological balance of the region. Organic agriculture, as an alternative agricultural system to protect human health and the environment can improve the quality and storability of the product. Kiwifruit is one of the most important agricultural products in north of Iran, which plays an effective role in trade and employment of the people. Fertilization is one of the main factors affecting the yield and quality of kiwifruit. Growers use organic manures and chemical fertilizers in their orchard to achieve higher yields. It is necessary to study the effect of various organic manures available in the region on the nutrition of kiwifruit vines due to increase chemical fertilizer prices and the formation of the market for organic fruits. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the effect of using five types of organic manures and chemical fertilizer on the quality of Hayward kiwi fruit during cold storage.
 
Materials and Methods
 This research was conducted as randomized complete block design consisting six treatments (including complete chemical fertilizer, sheep manure, cow manure, chicken manure, vermicompost and azolla) on Hayward kiwifruit vines in orchard and factorial experiment with three replicates in cold storage during four years. The fruits were harvested at TSS: 6.5 (approximately mid-November) and then stored at 0.5 ° C and 90% RH for three months. Sampling was performed every month and physicochemical characteristics, including flesh color parameters (L*, C*, h◦), total soluble solids, titratable acidity, firmness and weight loss of fruit were measured. Sensory evaluation of fruits was also performed at the end of three months cold storage. Analysis of variance of the data was done using SAS 9.1 software. The significance of differences between the mean of treatments was determined by using Duncan’s test.
 
Results and Discussion
 The results showed the interaction between year, type of nutrition and cold storage period affected color indices, lightness and chroma. Lightness and chroma value didn’t show significant differences between organic and chemical fertilizer treatments. In addition, their value decreased during cold storage period, significantly. The chroma value indicates the degree of saturation of the green color and is associated with fruit firmness. The hue value was also influenced by the interaction between year and cold storage period and the simple effect of the nutrition type. The highest hue value was observed in chicken manure (108.63) and the lowest in vermicompost (107.66). The hue value decreased significantly after 90 days cold storage. According to the results, a decrease in fruit firmness, TA and an increase in TSS and TSS/TA were observed during cold storage irrespective of treatments. After 90 days, total soluble solids content was higher when organic fertilizers were applied. During the storage of kiwifruit, total soluble solids content increased, significantly. The titratable acidity value in organic fertilizer treatments was higher than chemical fertilizer after 90 days cold storage, significantly. Moreover, titratable acidity value decreased at the end of the cold storage period, significantly. The highest flesh fruit firmness was obtained in cow manure (8.74 kg/cm2) in forth year and chemical fertilizer treatment had the lowest flesh firmness (3.2 kg/cm2) in third year. Fruit lost firmness gradually during the cold storage period. However, no significant difference was found in maturity index (TSS/TA) between treatments. The TSS:TA ratio is highly increased after 90 days. Based on the results of the last two years, azolla, cow and chicken manures showed less weight loss percentage than chemical fertilizer treatment. Moreover, weight loss increased significantly during cold storage period in all treatments and years. Also the results of sensory analysis showed that fruits treated with vermicompost had a higher overall acceptance than other treatments.
 
Conclusion
 Generally, organic nutrition plays an important role in increasing the nutritional value and shelf life of kiwifruit cv.Hayward. Organically produced fruits had higher firmness than conventionally grown fruits during storage. Application of cow manure and vermicompost showed favorable effects on important properties of kiwi fruit such as firmness, weight loss, TSS, TA and sensory quality. Therefore, organic fruits will have better quality in the cold storage. As a result, it seems that by reducing the use of chemical fertilizers in the current orchards, kiwi production will be close to the standards defined for organic fruit.
 

Keywords

Organic manure; Panel test; Physicochemical properties; Vermicompost

References

1. Abu-Zahra, T., Al-Ismail, K., & Shatat, F.( 2006). Effect of organic and conventional systems on fruit quality of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa duch) grown under plastic house conditions in the Jordan Valley. Acta Horticulturae, 741, 159–171. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2007.741.18
2. Agricultural Statistics, (2021). Horticultural crops. Ministry of Agriculture, 163p. (In persian)
3. Amarante, C.V.T., Steffens, C.A., Mafra, Á., & Albuquerque, J.A. (2008). Yield and fruit quality of apple from conventional and organic production systems. Pesquisa Agropecuaria Brasileira, 43, 333–340.
4. Amodio, M.L., Colelli, G., Hasey, J.K., & Kader, A. (2007). A comparative study of composition and postharvest performance of organically and conventionally grown kiwifruits. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 87, 1228–1236. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.2820
5. (1998). Official methods of analysis. 16^th ed. Association of Official Analytical Chemists. Washington D.C. USA.
6. Ashournezhad, M., Ghasemnezhad, M., Aghajanzadeh, S., Bakhshi, D., & Fatahi Moghadam, J. (2011). A comparison of the nutritional value of, and the antioxidant compounds present in the organic, integrated, and conventionally produced kiwifruits cv. 'Hayward'. Iranian Journal of Horticultural Sciences, 42(4), 413-422. (In Persian with English abstract)
7. Benge, J.R., Banks, N.H., Tillmann, R., & Nihalde Silva, H. (2000). Pairwise comparison of the storage potential of kiwifruit from organic and conventional production system. HortScience, 28, 147–152. https://doi.org/10.1080/01140671.2000.9514134
8. Brummell, D.A. (2006). Cell wall disassembly in ripening fruit. Functional Plant Biology, 33(2), 103-119. https://doi.org/10.1071/FP05234
9. DeEll, J.R., & Prange, R.K. (1992). Postharvest quality and sensory attributes of organically and conventionally grown apples. HortScience, 27(10), 1096-1099. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI.27.10.1096
10. D'evoli, L., Moscatello, S., Baldicchi, A., Lucarini, M., Cruz-Castillo, J.G., Aguzzi, A., Gabrielli, P., Proietti, S., Battistelli, A., Famiani, F., Böhm, V., & Lombardi-Boccia, G. (2013). Postharvest quality, phytochemicals and antioxidant activity in organic and conventional kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa, cv. Hayward). Italian Journal of Food Science, 25(3), 362-368 .
11. Fattahi Moghadam, J., & Halajisani, M. (2012). Determination of sutaible harvesting time and its effect on postharvest kiwifruit quality. Journal of Horticultural Science, 26(2), 230-237. (In Persian with English abstract)
12. Fattahi Moghadam, J., & Ebadi, H. (2012). The effect of hot water treatments on gray mold and physicochemical quality of kiwifruit during storage. Journal of Ornamental and Horticultural Plants, 2(2), 73-82.
13. Feng, J., MacKay, B.R., & Maguire, K.M. (2003). Variation in firmness of packed in Hayward kiwifruit. Acta Horticulturae, 610, 211-218. https://doi.org/17660/ActaHortic.2003.610.28
14. Hasey, J.K., Johnson, R.S., Meyer, R.D., & Klonsky, K. (1997). An organic versus conventional farming system in kiwifruit. Acta Horticulturae, 444, 223–228. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1997.444.33
15. Hassanzade Naranjboni, F., Ebrahimi, R., Moradi, B., & Raiesi, T. (2018). Effect of fertilizer type and its source on nutrients distribution in kiwifruit leaves and fruit. Journal of Water and Soil, 32(1), 59-72. (In Persian with English abstract). https://doi.org/10.22067/jsw.v32i1.63419
16. Khalil, H.A., & Hassan, S.M. (2015). Ascorbic acid, carotene, total phenolic compound and microbiological quality of organic and conventional citrus and strawberry grown in Egypt. African Journal of Biotechnology, 14, 272–277. https://doi.org/5897/AJB2014.14170
17. (2020). FAOSTAT, production. http://faostat3.fao.org
18. Lara, I., Garcia, P., & Vendrell, M. (2004). Modifications in cell wall composition after cold storage of calcium-treated strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) fruit. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 34, 331–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2004.05.018
19. Martinez- Romero, D., Alburguegue, N., Valverde, J.M., Guillen, F., Castillo, S., Valero, D., & Serrano, M. (2006). Postharvest Sweet cherry quality and safety maintenance by Aloe vera treatments: A new edible coating. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 39, 93-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2005.09.006
20. Mitchell, F.G. (1990). Postharvest physiology and technology of kiwifruit, Acta Horticulturae, 282, 291-307. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1990.282.37
21. Moradi, B. (2019). Investigation on the possibility of organic Kiwifruit production in the North of Iran. Final report of project. Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Citrus and Subtropical Research Center 93102-17-17-7. (In Persian with English abstract)
22. Nunes-Damacen, M., Muñoz-Ferreiro, N., Romero-Rodríguez, M.A., & Vázquez-Odériza, M.L. (2013). A comparison of kiwi fruit from conventional, integrated and organic production systems. LWT Food Science and Technology, 54, 291-297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2013.05.002
23. Park, Y.S., Im, M.H., Choi, J.H., Lee, H.Ch., Ham, K.S., Kang, S.G., Park, Y.K., Suhaj, M., Namiesnik, J., & Gorinstein, Sh. (2014). Effect of long-term cold storage on physicochemical attributes and bioactive components of kiwi fruit cultivars. Journal of Food, 12(4), 360-368. https://doi.org/1080/19476337.2014.888772
24. Peck, G.M., Andrews, P.K., Reganold, J.P., & Fellman, J.K. (2006). Apple orchard productivity and fruit quality under organic, conventional, and integrated management. HortScience, 41, 99–107. https://doi.org/21273/HORTSCI.41.1.99
25. Pota, S., Keta, S., & Thongtham, M.L.C. (1989). Effect of packing materials and temperatures on quality and storage life of pomegranate fruits (Punica Granatum). Agriculture and Natural Resources, 21(4), 328-333.
26. Redgewell, R.J., & Fry, S.C. (1993). Xyloglucan endotransglycosylase activity increases during kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) ripening. Implications for fruit softening. Plant Physiology, 103, 1399-1406. https://doi.org/1104/pp.103.4.1399
27. Reganold, J.P., Andrews, P.K., Reeve, J.R., Carpenter-Boggs, L., Schadt, C.W., Alldredge, J.R., Ross, C.F., Davies, N.M., & Zhou, J. (2010). Fruit and soil quality of organic and conventional strawberry agroecosystems. PLoS One, 5(9), e12346. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0012346
28. Singh, R., Sharma, R.R., Kumar, S., Gupta, R.K., & Patil, R.T. (2008). Vermicompost substitution influences growth, physiological disorders, fruit yield and quality of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa). Bioresource Technology, 99, 8507-8511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2008.03.034
29. Solaimani Aghdam, M., Mostofi ,Y., Motallebiazar, A., FattahiMoghaddam, J., & Ghasemnezhad, M. 2011. Methyl salicylate affects the quality of Hayward kiwifruits during storage at low temperature. Journal of Agricultural Science, 3, 149-156. https://doi.org/5539/jas.v3n2p149
30. Stefaniak, J., Sawicka, M., Krupa, T., Latocha, P., & Lata, B. (2017). Effect of kiwiberry pre-storage treatments on the fruit quality during cold storage. Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, 104(3), 235–242. https://doi.org/13080/z-a.2017.104.030
31. Weibel, F.P., Treutter, D., Graf, U., & Haseli, A. (2000). Sensory and health related fruit quality of organic apples: a comparative field study over three years using conventional and holistic methods to assess fruit quality. p.185–195. In 11^th International Conference on Cultivation Technique and Psychopathological Problems in Organic Fruit growing: Proceedings of the Conference, 3-5 February 2004. Weinsberg, Germany.
32. Whortington, V. (2001). Nutritional quality of organic versus conventional fruits, vegetables, and grains. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 7, 161–173. https://doi.org/10.1089/107555301750164244
33. Willer, H., & Lernoud, J. (2020). The World of Organic Agriculture: Statistics and Emerging Trends. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL). Frick, Switzerland, and International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Bonn, Germany.
34. Zahedipour, P., Asghari, M., Abdollahi, B., Alizadeh, M., & Rezaei Danesh, Y. (2019). A comparative study on quality attributes and physiological responses of organic and conventionally grown table grapes during cold storage. Scientia Horticulturae, 247, 86–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2018.11.077