New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts

---

Short communication
Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of the development of chilling injury in `Fuyu' persimmon (Diospyros kaki )

C. J. CLARK

The Horticulture and Food Research Institute
of New Zealand
Ruakura Research Centre
Private Bag 3123
Hamilton, New Zealand

S. K. FORBES

The Horticulture and Food Research Institute
of New Zealand
Mt Albert Research Centre
Private Bag 92169
Auckland, New Zealand

Abstract  Development of chilling injury in individual persimmon fruit was monitored over a 7-week period using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging. At commercial harvest, fruit of the non-astringent cultivar, `Fuyu', were divided into two treatments--one in which samples were sealed in individual polyethylene bags, and another without bags (control). Storage conditions were 0deg.C for 6 weeks. Proton NMR images (0.39 mm resolution) of transverse and longitudinal sections were obtained weekly using a standard Hahn spin-echo pulse sequence (TE = 30 ms, TR = 500 ms) on a 0.5 Tesla whole-body scanner. There was limited NMR evidence to support development of chilling injury in fruit from either treatment during cold storage. After removal to ambient temperatures however, injury developed rapidly causing fruit to be inedible within 1 week. Changes observed non-invasively during the period of degradation were consistent with visual observations describing the development of the disorder in this crop.

Keywords  chilling injury; Diospyros kaki; fruit; magnetic resonance imaging; NMR; non-destructive analysis; persimmon; physiological disorders; postharvest storage

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (926K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

---

This year's abstracts | Journal home page | All abstracts | Publishing home page