New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science
abstracts
Characterisation of ‘Royal Gala’ and ‘Cox’s Orange
Pippin’ apple (Malus domestica) softening during controlled atmosphere
storage
Jason W. Johnston1
Errol W. Hewett2
Maarten L. A. T. M. Hertog3
Institute for Food Nutrition and Human Health
Massey University
Private Bag 11 222
Palmerston North, New Zealand
1Present address: The Horticultural and Food
Research Institute of Zealand Limited,
Private Bag 92 169, Auckland, Zealand.
2Present address: College of Sciences, Massey
University, North Shore Mail Centre, Private
Bag 102 904, New Zealand. email:
E.W.Hewett@massey.ac.nz
3Present address: Flanders Centre/Laboratory of Postharvest Technology,
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven,
W. de Croylaan 42, B-3001 Belgium.
Abstract Firmness is an important trait of postharvest quality in apple fruit
(Malus domestica). This study characterises softening rates of early season
cultivars before, during, and after controlled atmosphere (CA) storage. ‘Royal
Gala’ and ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’ apples in CA had a
triphasic softening curve during storage similar to that of fruit in regular
air storage (RA). Fruit in CA had a longer initial slow softening phase, and
a slower rapid softening phase, than fruit in RA. Firmness benefits in the
market arising from CA were attained only when CA was applied to fruit before
the onset of rapid softening. Fruit in CA also exceeded an internal ethylene
concentration (IEC) of 1.5 μl litre-1 later, and had a
lower maximum IEC, than fruit in air. Thus, CA may extend the initial slow
softening phase, and reduce softening in the rapid softening phase by decreasing
ethylene production in both cultivars.
Keywords Malus domestica; firmness; softening rate; ethylene; controlled atmospheres;
temperature; empirical modelling; quality
New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 2006, Vol. 34: 73–83
0014–0671/06/3401–0073 © The Royal Society of New Zealand
2006
H05059; Online publication date 13 March 2006.
Received 7 June 2005; accepted 4 November 2005
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