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Calcium chloride irrigation influence on yield, calcium content, quality and shelf‐life of the white mushroom Agaricus bisporus
Author(s) -
Philippoussis Antonios,
Diamantopoulou Panagiota,
Zervakis Georgios
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.968
Subject(s) - pileus , mushroom , agaricus bisporus , stipe (mycology) , shelf life , horticulture , chemistry , calcium , crop , irrigation , food science , yield (engineering) , botany , agronomy , biology , metallurgy , materials science , organic chemistry
Seven CaCl 2 irrigation treatments (0.15, 0.25, 0.35, 0.45, 0.55, 0.75 and 1.00%) were applied to the Agaricus bisporus white strain A15 (Sylvan) in order to evaluate, in comparison with the water‐irrigated crop, their effect on production characteristics, ie yield, sporophore number and size mix, average mushroom weight as well as pileus and stipe Ca content. In addition, initial mushroom colour and texture in three successive flushes and their variations during post‐harvest storage for 8 days at 4 °C and for 2 days at 18 °C were determined. Statistical analysis of data revealed that crop yields were not affected by the individual treatments, whereas the mushroom number was reduced and the average sporophore weight was enhanced. A strong positive correlation was established between CaCl 2 dosage and Ca content of fresh mushrooms, which increased considerably in the third flush by accumulating in both pileus and stipe parts (the former containing less Ca than the latter) and presented a maximum for the 0.75 and 1.00% CaCl 2 treatments. At harvest, colour of second‐ and third‐break mushrooms was significantly improved by all CaCl 2 treatments. This beneficial effect was more pronounced after 8 days of cold storage and during shelf‐life in sporophores treated with 0.35, 0.75 and 1.00% CaCl 2 . No consistent correlation was found between Ca content and texture of fresh and stored mushrooms. However, although softer mushrooms were recorded at harvest in most CaCl 2 ‐irrigated crops, 0.25, 0.75 and 1.00% concentrations appeared to retard mushroom softening, promoting firmness at the 8th day of cold storage and during shelf‐life. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry