الفهرس 
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Abstract
The present study was carried out during two successive seasons of 2016 and 2017 on ”Mit Ghamer” peach trees (Prunus persica L.) cv. Medium Sultani grown in clay soil of a private orchard at the village of Fisha Banna in Aga center, Dakahlia, Egypt. This study was conducted to study the effect of pre-and post-harvest treatments on the quality of peach fruits at harvest time and during cold storage at 5±1°C and relative humidity (RH) 80-85%. In order to, maximize nutritional value and economic benefits by improving the quality of peach, reducing damage, prolonging marketing and exportability. The study included three experiments (pre-harvest, post-harvest and combinations between them) as follows: The first experiment: Spraying the trees pre-harvest with four treatments: 1.Tap water (comparison treatment). 2.Potassium sulfate at 1.5% concentration. 3.Calcium chloride at 2% concentration. 4. Potassium sulfate at 1.5% concentration then calcium chloride at 2% concentration. The second Experiment 2: Post-harvest four treatments 1 .Tap water (control). 2.Salicylic acid solution at 1.5 mM. 3. Chitosan solution at 1%. 4.Salicylic acid solution at 1.5 mM and then Chitosan solution at 1%. Experiment The third experiment 3: Combination treatments as follows: 1.Control (application of tap water before and after harvest) 2. Spraying the trees, before harvesting, with potassium sulfate by 1.5% and soaking the fruits, after harvesting in salicylic acid solution 1.5 mM.3. Spraying trees, before harvesting, with potassium sulfate by 1.5% and soaking the fruits, after harvest, in 1% Chitosan solution.4. Spraying the trees, before harvest, with calcium chloride by 2% and soaking the fruits, soaking the fruits, in salicylic acid solution 1.5 mM.5. Spraying the trees, before harvesting, with calcium chloride by 2% and soaking the fruits, after harvest, in 1% Chitosan solution. Several physical and chemical fruit quality attributes (Weight loss% and decay incidence %, firmness, Vitamin C content, titratable acidity%, total soluble solids “TSS” percentage, total soluble solids/acid ratio, total soluble sugars percentage, anthocyanin content, pectin substances) were measured on days 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24 during the cold storage.
The results of this study can be recommended to spray peach trees before harvesting with potassium sulfate at 1.5% or calcium chloride at 2% and soaking fruits after harvest for 5 minutes in a solution of any salicylic acid at 1.5 mM or chitosan at a rate of 1% to improve the physical and chemical quality characteristics of peach fruits during cold storage (5 ± 1 oC and relative humidity 80-85%). To delay the ripening of the fruits, the combination treatments, which include spraying trees at the peak of flowering with a 2% calcium chloride solution and then soaking after harvesting in a solution of either salicylic acid or chitosan before cold storage, are used.