Published in Scientific Papers. Series B, Horticulture, Vol. LXV, Issue 2
Written by Andrei PETRE, Andreea STAN, Dan POPESCU, Mihai FRÎNCU, Violeta Alexandra ION, Roxana CICEOI, Adrian ASĂNICĂ
Organic chokeberries (Aronia melanocarpa L.) are plants with unique health-promoting properties, due to its high content of antioxidants in fruits. The present study focuses on the incidence of fungal pathogens and the quality parameters of organic chokeberry in different storage conditions. Two organic chokeberry varieties, 'Nero’ and 'Nero Eggert’, were harvested in August 2020 from the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest experimental orchard, stored in normal and controlled atmosphere conditions, and analysed during the storage period. In pre-harvest field, for both varieties of chokeberry it were performed two different fertilization scheme: control (untreated) and treated variant with organic fertilizers applied on soil or by foliar sprays. Aronia melanocarpa L. fruits were monitored in terms of: shape index, firmness, total soluble solids, total titratable acidity, dry matter content, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity and fungal fruit pathogens during storage. Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity showed similar behaviour during storage period for all samples. Penicillium, Botrytis and Alternaria were the main fungal pathogens identified on organic chokeberry fruits.
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