The influence of rootstock and time of harvest on the fruit quality 
during storage of in two grapefruit cultivars

Francisca Ligia  de Castro Machado; Janaína de Paula  da Costa; Adunias  dos Santos  Teixeira; José Maria  Correia da Costa

The influence of rootstock and time of harvest on the fruit quality during storage of in two grapefruit cultivars

Autores

Francisca Ligia de Castro Machado

Janaína de Paula da Costa

Adunias dos Santos Teixeira

José Maria Correia da Costa

Editor

Universidade Estadual de Maringá

Descripción

The effects of the ‘Cleopatra’ mandarin and ‘Swingle’ citrumelo root stocks and time of harvest on the quality of cold-stored (13°C and 90% R.H.) ‘Ruby Red’ and ‘Star Ruby’ grapefruit grown under the tropical conditions prevalen t in Ceará state, Brazil, were eval uated. Fruit quality was assessed by mass loss and peel color, the percentage of juice, solubl e solids, titratable acidity, pH, maturity index, and ascorbic acid content. The results suggested that ‘R uby Red’ and ‘Star Ruby’ grapefruit presented similar amounts of soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity and asco rbic acid levels at harves t, and the trends over the course of storage followed similar patterns for both cu ltivars, regardless of root stock. The influence of scion-rootstock combination on the studied variables was dependent on the time of harvest. The peel color of ‘Ruby Red’ grafted on ‘Swingle’ citrumelo is mo re vivid and redder when ha rvested in October than when harvested in August. ‘Ruby Re d’ and ‘Star Ruby’ grapefruit harvested in October are sweeter, less acidic, juicier, and richer in ascorbic acid than th ose harvested in August. ‘Cle opatra’ mandarin rootstock might favor ascorbic acid levels at harvest, but the fruit may lose more weight during storage.