Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of African Postgraduate Studies - Department of Natural Resources

This study was conducted during two successive seasons (2016 and 2017) on Le-conte pear trees eight years old budded on Pyrus betuliafolia rootstock grown on horticulture research Institute, Giza, Egypt. This research aims to study the effect of spraying some extracts of natural plants to enhance fruit quality of pear, extend shelf life and keeping quality of the fruit during cold storage. Nineteen treatments, including the control, sprayed three times with successive extracts (Hexane, ethanol, and water) from garlic and onions at 10, 15 and 20% concentrations were applied firstly at 50% of bloom, then after full fruit set and one month later. Generally, all studied physical characteristics (fruit decay (%), loss in fruit weight (%) and firmness), as well as seasonal changes in some chemical characteristics (total soluble solids (TSS), acidity %, vitamin C percentage, total sugars, total phenols, and total soluble pectin) and some activities enzyme that were improved with the application of the different treatments. The best results were obtained from the treatments of garlic or onion extract at 20% as compared to the control, the use of 20% hexane extract of garlic or onion enhanced fruit quality by giving the lowest value of decay %; loss in fruit weight; Total soluble pectin;the activity of pectinase, peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase and the highest value of firmness; vitamin C; total sugars; total soluble solids (TSS). The studies recommend spraying hexane extract of garlic or onion as a natural product to extend and keeping quality of 2Le-conte3 pear fruits during cold storage

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