Quality of black berries cv. Xavante treated in pre-harvest with silicon

Technology Agricultural Blackberry is a highly perishable fruit, rapidly losing its postharvest bioactive compounds. In this context, this study aimed to verify the effect of silicon and storage period on postharvest conservation of blackberry cv. Xavante. The treatments consisted of biweekly sprays of aqueous solutions at the following silicon oxide concentrations: 0, 5, 10, 15 g L-1. For each harvest season, samples of 20 fruits per experimental plot, collected on the same date, were used for the physicochemical evaluations. Half of this sample (10 fruits per plot) were immediately destined for analysis (time zero). The other half of the sample (10 fruits per experimental plot) were placed in polypropylene packaging, covered with PVC film and kept in a B.O.D. temperature of 1 degrees C for 8 days plus one day at room temperature, simulating commercialization conditions, when they were also submitted to physicochemical analysis. Foliar silicon applications had positive effects on postharvest quality of blackberry cv. Xavante, with the increase of pulp firmness and soluble solids content, although it also reduced the ascorbic acid content.