Abstract BACKGROUND Apricot ( Prunus armeniaca L.) is a nutritionally valuable subtropical fruit with high economic importance; however, being highly perishable limits its marketability and profitability. Sustainable preharvest management strategies are essential to enhance fruit quality and resilience to environmental stress. Therefore, a research study was conducted for two consecutive years (2022–2023) using a 4 × 4 factorial randomized complete block design. Apricot fruit trees were applied with four potassium silicate (PS) concentrations (0, 1, 3, and 5 mL L −1 ) and four glycine treatments (0, 400, 600, and 800 mg L −1 ), at the fruit set and pit hardening stages. RESULTS Results showed that moderate PS at 3 mL L −1 with 600–800 mg L −1 glycine significantly improved fruit weight (78%), volume (55%), and yield per plant − (32.8 kg; a 64% increase over the control), while reducing the number of fruits per kilogram by 13%, indicating larger average fruit size. Preharvest decay was reduced by approximately 60%, alongside improvements in firmness (by 100%) over the control, total soluble solids (TSS; 16–19%), TSS–acid ratio (64%), juice pH (0.65 units), and sugar accumulation, compared with control treatment. Antioxidant activity increased by 37%, flavonoids by 51%, proline by 116%, and catalase and peroxidase activities by 22%. Principal component analysis identified 3 mL L −1 PS with 600 mg L −1 glycine as the most effective combination. CONCLUSION These findings demonstrate that the synergistic preharvest application of PS and glycine has enhanced apricot yield, fruit quality, and storability, offering an eco‐friendly alternative to conventional chemical treatments. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.
Amir et al. (Fri,) studied this question.