The effect of preharvest gibberellic acid applications on fruit quality of ʽAngelinoʼ plums during storage

•There is an increase in the production rate of Japanese plums.•Due to availability of proper storage conditions and export opportunities, it is substantial to improve storage life of the plums.•Preharvest GA3 applications can directly affect fruit quality, postharvest durability and shelf life of ʽAngelinoʼ plums.•The effect of preharvest GA3 applications on ʽAngelinoʼ plums was positive in this study and 90 days of storability was achieved successfully.

High-performance preharvest treatments can ensure maintenance of quality during storage. In this study, gibberellic acid (GA3) was applied on the trees in the preharvest stage to study its effects on the storage potential of the ʽAngelinoʼ plums. The treatment was applied at 50 and 75 mg/L concentrations, on the 8th, 10th, 12th and 14th ʽweek after anthesisʼ (WAA). The results of the GA3 applications on the ʽAngelinoʼ plum quality after 90 days of storage and an additional 2 days of shelf life showed a decrease in weight loss, with a corresponding increase in fruit flesh firmness, total soluble solids and titratable acidity with the treatment. The fruit skin hue values were higher in the GA3 treated plums, whereas no change was observed in the total antioxidant activity and total phenol contents. Overall, the effect of the preharvest GA3 application on the ʽAngelinoʼ plum quality during storage at 0 ± 0.5 °C and 90–95% relative humidity for 90 days was positive.