Effect of pre harvest elicitor sprays on post-harvest physical parameters of dragon fruit (Selenicereus monacanthus)

Abstract

The research entitled “Effect of pre harvest elicitor sprays on post-harvest physical parameters of dragon fruit (Selenicereus monacanthus)” was carried out in farmer’s field, Nabipeta, West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh during the year 2023-24. The pre harvest sprays was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with seven treatments and three replications. Red fleshed dragon fruits were sprayed with different elicitors i.e., T1: Salicylic acid 500 ppm, T2: Salicylic acid 1000 ppm, T3: Methyl jasmonate 500 ppm, T4: Methyl jasmonate 1000 ppm T5: Chitosan 500 ppm, T6: Chitosan 1000 ppm, T7 was taken as control. Spraying was given once, 15 days after flowering (DAF). Salicylic acid 1000 ppm (T2) treated fruits recorded significantly lowest per cent weight loss (3.70%), lowest spoilage (16.67%) and highest fruit firmness (9.03 kg cm-2) at 9th day of storage. Hence, the research findings concluded that salicylic acid 1000 ppm (T2) found to be best in improving the physical parameters of dragon fruit at ambient temperature.