Shaomin Yang¹ , Shiying Yu²

1 Hainan Institute of Biotechnology, Haikou, 570206, Hainan, China 2 Biotechnology Research Center, Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, China
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Horticulture, 2026, Vol. 16, No. 3   doi: 10.5376/ijh.2026.16.0017
Received: 08 May, 2026    Accepted: 19 Jun., 2026    Published: 30 Jun., 2026

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Yang S.M., and Yu S.Y., 2026, Nutrient management for enhancing sweet cherry fruit firmness and shelf life, International Journal of Horticulture, 16(3): 188-205 (doi: 10.5376/ijh.2026.16.0017)

Sweet cherry fruit are prone to softening, water loss, cracking, and decay after harvest, resulting in a short shelf life. Fruit firmness and storability directly affect commercial grading and market value. This study analyzes the improvement of sweet cherry fruit firmness and storage quality through nutrient management, focusing on the effects of key nutrients such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, and boron on cell wall stability, membrane integrity, and postharvest senescence, and proposes practical management strategies for production. The results indicate that calcium is the core element for maintaining fruit firmness and delaying softening. It can enhance calcium-pectate cross-linking, stabilize cell wall and membrane structures, and reduce the risks of cracking, decay, and weight loss. However, calcium uptake is restricted by fruit developmental stage, declining xylem function, and cultivar differences. Potassium promotes fruit enlargement, sugar accumulation, and ripening, but excessive application may increase the K:Ca ratio and weaken firmness retention. Magnesium improves fruit quality mainly by promoting photosynthesis and carbon assimilation, while boron participates in cell wall formation, fruit set, and calcium distribution. This study suggests that supplementation with a single nutrient is unlikely to consistently improve the storability of sweet cherry fruit. A stage-specific nutrient management model integrating early calcium supply, boron supplementation at flowering, moderate potassium and magnesium regulation, nitrogen control, and postharvest calcium treatment should therefore be established.

Sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.); Nutrient management; Fruit firmness; Calcium management; Shelf life; Postharvest preservation