Abstract:

In this study, the effects of two different reflective films and bagging treatments on fruit quality in the upper, middle and lower canopy of orchard were studied. The results showed as follows. (1) The fruit coloration area was significantly improved by covering the ground with reflective film and bagging, and the fruit coloration area was significantly increased by 158% in the lower crown fruits treated with reflective film and bagging. The color area of the lower canopy fruit treated with silver-black reflective mulch+ bagging was significantly increased by 75.01% compared with that treated with bagging alone. (2) The total phenol content of fruit in upper crown and flavonoid content in middle crown were significantly increased by the treatment of ground-covered fruit enhanced reflective film and bagging. Both the ground-covered fruit enhanced reflective film+ bagging treatment and the silver-black reflective film+ bagging treatment can increase the contents of anthocyanins and soluble solids in the middle crown fruits, and the contents of glucose and fructose in the lower crown fruits, while reducing the kernel hardness of the lower crown fruits. The contents of malic acid and citric acid were significantly reduced by silver-black reflective mulch and bagging treatment, but the two treatments had no significant effects on single fruit weight, kernel weight, longitudinal diameter, peel thickness, ascorbic acid, sucrose and tartaric acid. (3) Compared with silver-black reflective film+ bagging treatment, fruit enhanced reflective film+ bagging treatment can significantly increase the total phenol content of upper crown fruits, flavonoid and anthocyanin contents of middle crown fruits, glucose and fructose contents of lower crown fruits, reduce the grain hardness of lower crown fruits, and promote the fruit coloring of lower crown fruits. Silver-black reflective mulch film+ bagging treatment only had a better treatment effect on malic acid and citric acid than fruit enhanced reflective film+ bagging treatment. In summary, the fruit enhanced reflective film+ bagging treatment has the best effect, and can become an effective means to promote the improvement of fruit quality in production.

Key words: Tunisian soft-seed pomegranate, reflective film, bagging, fruit quality, coloration