The effects of chitosan and essential oil applications on fruit cracking prevention and quality criteria in 0900 Ziraat cherry variety

This study was conducted during the 2022-2023 period in the experimental plot located at the Çukurova University Pozantı Agricultural Research and Application Center, situated at an altitude of 1200m. The study focused on the 0900 Ziraat cherry variety grafted onto MaxMa 60 rootstock, planted at a 5x5m spacing, and pruned in a Central Leader system. The trees were five years old. In the study, %0.5 CaCl2, 300ppm Green Stim, 100ppm Chitosan, 400ppm Thyme oil, combinations of these treatments, and water as a control were used. The study was conducted in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications, each containing 10 plants. As a result of this study, while the control application showed a 36% cracking rate, the lowest fruit cracking rate of 2% was obtained with the Thyme Oil (400 ppm) application. Particularly, the thyme oil application had positive effects on fruit size. The fruit weight, which was 7.39 g in the control, was determined to be 8.42 g with the thyme oil application, indicating a positive effect on fruit weight. The best result in fruit firmness was also achieved with the thyme oil application. While the control had a fruit firmness of 4.5 kg, the thyme oil application resulted in a fruit firmness of 5.42 kg.