New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts
Observation of watercore dissipation in `Braeburn' apple by magnetic
resonance imaging
C. J. CLARK
The Horticulture and Food Research
Institute of New Zealand Ltd
Palmerston North Research Centre
Private Bag 11 030
Palmerston North, New Zealand
email: cclark@hort.cri.nz
C. A. RICHARDSON
ENZA New Zealand (International)
P. O. Box 1101
Hastings, New Zealand
Abstract Following unusually high temperatures during the
1997/98 growing season, a significant incidence of watercore was observed in
the New Zealand `Braeburn' crop (
Malus domestica) for the first time.
Serial proton magnetic resonance imaging was subsequently used to monitor the
characteristics of disorder amelioration in individual fruit during 3-week and
15-week storage trials (0-0.5deg.C). Symptoms (water-soaked appearance of flesh
around the locule area and extending into the cortex) in "slightly" affected
fruit (>0.5 cm
2 affected or <25% of the equatorial
cross-section area affected) gradually dissipated in 3-5 weeks leaving fruit
with normal appearance and taste. Extracellular fluid in fruit classified as
"severely" affected (>25% of the equatorial cross-section area affected)
also dispersed completely, but over a longer time--6-8 weeks. However, the
internal appearance of some severely affected fruit was unacceptable after 15
weeks of coolstorage. It is not clear whether the presence of cavities and
brown mealy flesh was attributable to watercore or other factors associated
with the anomalous seasonal conditions. Lines of `Braeburn' in which a high
incidence of severe watercore is present at harvest thus represent high risk
for long-term storage.
Keywords fruit; Malus domestica;
non-destructive analysis; nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; postharvest
H98053
Received 29 October 1998; accepted 17 December 1998
Short communication
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