Preharvest application of salicylic acid, ethephon and allantoin enhances ripening and fruit quality of grape cv. Flame Seedless in subtropical condition of North India

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Published

2025-12-31

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58993/ijh/2025.82.4.7

Keywords:

Grape, allantoin, salicylic acid, ethephon, berry colour, anthocyanins
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Vol. 82 No. 04 (2025): Indian Journal of Horticulture

Section

Research Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Gurpreet Singh, N K Arora, Gagandeep Kaur, Rachna Arora

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Authors

  • Gurpreet Singh Department of Fruit Science, Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana, Punjab 141004, India
  • N K Arora Department of Fruit Science, Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana, Punjab 141004, India
  • Gagandeep Kaur Department of Fruit Science, Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana, Punjab 141004, India
  • Rachna Arora Department of Fruit Science, Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana, Punjab 141004, India

Abstract

The present study investigated the effect of pre-harvest application of allantoin and salicylic acid (SA) on ripening behaviour, berry colour development, and fruit quality of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) cv. Flame Seedless under subtropical conditions. The experiment was conducted over two consecutive seasons (2023-2024) using single and double applications of allantoin (750, 1000 and 1250 ppm) and Salicylic acid (1, 2 and 3 mM), with ethephon (400 ppm) as a reference treatment and an untreated control. Ethephon significantly advanced ripening by 6-7 days, improved berry redness (a* value), and resulted in the highest total soluble solids (TSS), TSS:acidity ratio, total sugars, and anthocyanin content. Among the alternative treatments, double application of allantoin at 1250 ppm markedly enhanced berry colour, anthocyanin accumulation, and total phenolic content, producing colour development comparable to ethephon. Single applications of allantoin significantly increased tartaric acid concentration and antioxidant activity, indicating its positive influence on biochemical quality attributes. Salicylic acid treatments improved TSS and total sugar content but consistently delayed ripening by 2-3 days and showed limited effectiveness in enhancing berry colour. The untreated control recorded the lowest values for most quality parameters. Overall, the findings suggest that pre-harvest application of allantoin, particularly at higher concentrations with double sprays, is a promising alternative to conventional ripening agents for improving colour development and biochemical quality of Flame Seedless grapes under subtropical conditions.

How to Cite

Singh, G., Arora, N. K., Kaur, G., & Arora, R. (2025). Preharvest application of salicylic acid, ethephon and allantoin enhances ripening and fruit quality of grape cv. Flame Seedless in subtropical condition of North India. Indian Journal of Horticulture, 82(04), 427–432. https://doi.org/10.58993/ijh/2025.82.4.7

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