Fluoride-induced suture red spot in ‘Elberta’ peach

• Published in: Environmental and experimental botany 1984-01, Vol.24 (4), p.353-367
• Main Authors: MacLean, D.C., Weinstein, L.H., McCune, D.C., Schneider, R.E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; fluorides; Food industries; Fruit and vegetable industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; peaches; plant diseases and disorders; ripening
• ISSN: 0098-8472; 1873-7307
• DOI: 10.1016/0098-8472(84)90032-7

Suture red spot (SRS) is a serious physiological disorder of the peach fruit. Tissues at or near the suture ripen prematurely and the affected becomes soft or overripe before the remainder of the fruit ripens, rendering it unmarketable. SRS may be induced by several agents, including fluorine (F)-containing compounds. Different kinds of exposures of ‘Elberta’ peach trees to hydrogen fluoride (HF) in the field revealed that the concentrations of HF for the induction of this disorder were extremely low: 0.3 μgF m −3 in continuous exposures of 80 days; 1.0 μgF m −3 in intermittent exposures for three 6-hr periods each week for 9 weeks. Fruits were more susceptible to HF-induced SRS at the later stages of fruit development than at the pit-hardening stage. Exposure to HF induced a localized deficiency of calcium (Ca) in suture tissues. It is postulated that this could have resulted in loss of membrane integrity leading to premature ripening and the development of SRS.