Effect of pre-harvest conditions and postharvest storage time on the quality of whole and fresh-cut calçots (Allium cepa L.)

Abstract

Pre-harvest conditions such as cultivar, cultivation site and planting time could affect the storability, quality and shelf-life of fruit and vegetables. The influence of onion cultivar, cultivation site and planting time on the storability and quality of whole fresh and roasted calçots (Allium cepa L.) was investigated. Moreover, the suitability for fresh-cut processing of four different calçots was studied. Samples from 'Montferri' onion cultivar presented the best storability. Overall, postharvest storage time had no remarkable effect on the quality of whole calçots but produced an increase on the antioxidant properties of all samples. In relation to the aptitude to minimal processing, 'Montferri' onion cultivar cultivated at Viladecans in August showed the best results in terms of quality throughout their postharvest storage time. Therefore, cultivar and postharvest storage time could have more effect than cultivation site and planting time on the quality of whole and fresh-cut calçots.

This work was supported by ACCIÓ (Generalitat of Catalonia, RD14-1-004), Sociedad Agrícola I Secció de Crèdit de Valls S.C.C.L., Cooperativa of Cambrils, and PGI ‘Calçot de Valls’. This work was also supported by the ‘Secretaria d’Universitats I Recerca del Departament d’Economia I Coneixement’ (FI-2017-B2-00164, L. Zudaire) and CERCA Programme of Generalitat de Catalunya. I. Aguiló-Aguayo thanks to the National Programme for the Promotion of Talent and its Employability of the ‘Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad’ of the Spanish Government and to the European Social Fund for the Postdoctoral Senior Grant ‘Ramon y Cajal’ (RYC-2016-19949).