{ Cem AL International Horticulture Conference- 2022 17-19 May 2022 Book of Abstracts DEPARTMENT OF HORTICULTURE Faculty of Agriculture, Gomal University, DI. Khan KP, PakistanABSTRACT BOOK INTERNATIONAL HORTICULTURE CONFERENCE 2022 (May 17-19, 2022) Organized by: Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan In collaboration with Pakistan Society for Horticultural Science (PSHS)Postharvest L-Cysteine Application on Storage Life and Quality of Commercial Table Grapes Cultivars of Balochistan M. Usman’, A.S. Khan", S.A. Naqvi’, R. Anwar’, M.U. Hassan’, S. Ali’, M. Ahsan’ and S. Ayyub' ‘Institute of Horticultural Science, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. “Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan *Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan (‘Corresponding author's email: ahmad_khan157@yahoo.com) Table grapes exhibit a wide consumer demand due to their high nutritional properties. However, the high perishable nature limits their extended market window. Hence, the current study was conducted to assess the effect of postharvest application of 0.25% L-cysteine coating on storage life and quality of three commercial table grapes evs. Sundarkhani, Khismishi and Shaghali of Balochistan during cold storage. The results showed that 0.25% L-cysteine treatment had a significant impact on the quality and storage life of table grapes berries. In addition, the 0.25% L-cysteine treatment retained softness, lessened the rachis browning, reduced berries shattering, minimized the disease incidence, reduced weight loss, and lower respiration rate compared to the control treatment. The quality traits such as the ratio of total soluble solids and titratable acidity (TSS:TA) ratio of fruits, increased with the progression of the storage period. Maximum electrical conductivity (EC) was achieved in untreated fruits of cvs., Sundarkhani, Khismishi, and Shaghali. L-cysteine-treated berries maintained the TA at a higher level than untreated berries in cv. 'Sundarkhani’ during the storage period. Furthermore, TA decreased to an average during day 20 in cv. 'Khismishi' and 'Shaghali’. Additionally, a decrease in ascorbic acid content was determined in all three L-cysteine treated cvs. However, the highest concentration of ascorbic acid was found in L-cysteine treated cv. ‘Khismishi' in contrast to untreated control berries at the 20 days of cold storage. Based on findings, it is suggested that edible coating of amino acids like L-cysteine plays a beneficial role in reducing fruit spoilage, minimizing postharvest loss, and enhancing table grape's quality and storage life. Keywords: L-cysteine, storage, quality, table grapes. 55