The effect of treatment pomegranate peel extract and calcium on the storage ability of broad beans (Vicia faba L.)

Abstract

  After harvesting the crop of broad beans grown in one of the orchards in Al-Hartha region, Basrah, Iraq  for the agricultural season 2023-2024, the pods were separated to obtain the seeds by removing the pod, then the seeds were divided into three parts. A part of the seeds was treated by dipping in pomegranate peel extract at a concentration of 3 ml l‾¹ for 5 minutes,. The second part of seeds was dipped in calcium at a concentration of 2 ml l‾¹ for 5 minutes. The last part was dipped in distilled water only for 5 minutes. After the seeds dried, they were packed in perforated polyethylene bags (8 holes of 5 mm diameter ) with an amount of 1 kg per bag and stored at a temperature of 4 °C for two weeks. The experiment was carried out as factorial experiment consisting of two factors, using Complete Rondomize Design (CRD) with 3 replicates. The results showed that  2 ml l‾¹ calcium treatment was the best in reducing the weight loss of seeds and recording the highest percentage of total soluble solids and protein, while the treatment of pomegranate peel extract was superior to the rest treatments in recorded the highest vitamin C. The results also showed that the two mentioned treatments did not record any significant decay after two weeks of storage compared to the control treatment. The  weight loss of seeds, the percentage of decay, and the total soluble solids increased with increasing storage period, while the protein percentage and vitamin C concentration decrease with increasing storage period.