Watercore dissipation in ‘fuji’ apples at different holding temperatures

• Author(s): Neuwald, Daniel A. ; Kittemann, D. ; Streif, J.
• Date: 2010
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/2926
• Origin: Sapientia - Universidade do Algarve
• Subject(s): 1- MCP; Fruit firmness; Malus domestica; Physiological disorders
• Document Type: Part of book or chapter of book
• Language: English
• Editor(s): Nunes, Carla

Description

Proceedings of the International Conference “Environmentally friendly and safe technologies for quality of fruit and vegetables”, held in Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal, on January 14-16, 2009. This Conference was a join activity with COST Action 924. Fruit with high levels of watercore are rejected during market quality control inspections because affected apples can develop alcoholic off-flavours and internal browning symptoms. In 2007 and 2008 late harvest ‘Fuji’ apples with a high incidence of watercore were kept at 1 °C (2008), 3 °C (2007), 6 °C and 10 °C in air. Some fruit at 10 °C were also treated with 1-MCP and Ethephon. Changes in flesh firmness and watercore were followed during 51 d storage. Fruit at 1, 3 °C and 1-MCP treated fruit at 10 °C showed no clear change in flesh firmness during 51 d storage while fruit at 6 °C softened between 0.7 and 0.9 kg/cm-2 and untreated fruit at 10 °C lost around 1.0 kg/cm-2. Watercore in ‘Fuji’ apples with or without 1-MCP or Ethephon treatments at 10 °C dissipated to acceptable levels after around 16 to 22 d, while apples at 6, 3 and 1 °C showed acceptable watercore at 26, 29 and 51 d respectively. When ‘Fuji’ apples have high levels of watercore at-harvest, one option is to treat them with 1-MCP and store at 10 °C. The watercore will reduce rapidly but fruit flesh firmness will generally be maintained at acceptable levels.