INFIVE   05416
INSTITUTO DE FISIOLOGIA VEGETAL
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
LOW IRRADIANCE PULSES IMPROVE POSTHARVEST QUALITY OF SPINACH LEAVES (Spinacia Oleracea L. cv Bison)
Autor/es:
GERGOFF GUSTAVO; CHAVES ALICIA; BARTOLI CARLOS G
Lugar:
La Plata
Reunión:
Congreso; XXVIII Reunión Argentina de Fisiología Vegetal; 2010
Institución organizadora:
Asociación Sociedad Argentina de Fisiología Vegetal
Resumen:
The aim of this work is to extend and improve the postharvest life of mature spinach leaves using clean technologies like the use of short pulses of low irradiance. The experiments were carried out using mature leaves of two-month-old spinach plants collected from the greenhouses at the Estación Experimental JA Hirschorn (UNLP). After harvest they were immediately sealed in polyethylene bags in the laboratory. These bags were placed in a dark chamber at 23 ºC under continuous dark or with the application of pulses of  fluorescent light consisting on 7 min of 30 micromoles m-2 s-1 PPFD each 2 h for 3 d. The chosen irradiance corresponded to the light compensation point previously measured in spinach plants under the greenhouse conditions. So, we can assume that there is no effect of de novo synthesis and accumulation of sugars on postharvest spinach life. After the light treatment, all the bags were transferred to a chamber at 4 ºC for another week. Chlorophyll content and solute leakage in dark spinach leaves were lower and higher, respectively, than in those leaves receiving short light pulses. In addition antioxidant capacity was kept higher in light treated leaves. These trends were conserved after another week when both batches of leaves were stored under continuous dark refrigerated conditions. These results demonstrate that short light pulses of low irradiance can be used to extend and to improve postharvest life of mature spinach leaves.