FRUIT YIELD AND QUALITY OF 'FLORIDA KING' PEACHES SUBJECTED TO FOLIAR CALCIUM CHLORIDE SPRAYS AT DIFFERENT GROWTH STAGES

Peach fruit and trees are prone to various issues, regarding yield, quality and pest attack. Calcium plays several roles in plant and fruit development. Therefore the current study was conducted to evaluate the response of peach fruit to foliar application. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with two factors factorial arrangement and three replicates. Calcium chloride was applied at the rate of 0, 1, 2 and 3%. The foliar application of calcium was done at pink bud stage, berry size fruit stage, and then at pit hardening stage of peach. The obtained resulted indicated that foliar application of calcium significantly improved peach fruit quality and yield. The highest fruit weight (142.6 g), yield tree(-1) (15.6 kg), ascorbic acid content (6.67 mg.100 g(-1)), total soluble solids (11.0 degrees Bx), fruit juice pH (3.98), sugar to acid ratio (45.1), fruit firmness (3.90 kg.cm(-2)) and fruit volume (155.6 cm(3)) was obtained with the application of 3% solution of calcium chloride at pit hardening stage but it significantly reduced the percent titratable acidity (0.3%) and disease incidence (5.8%). It was concluded that 3% calcium chloride applied at the pit hardening stage significantly boosted peach quality and fruit yield.