Title: Low oxygen pre-storage treatment is effective in reducing chilling injuries of deciduous fruit

Authors: Edna Pesis; Oleg Feygenberg; Revital Sabban-Amin; Susan E. Ebeler; Elizabeth J. Mitcham; Ruth Ben-Arie

Addresses: Department of Postharvest Science, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel ' Department of Postharvest Science, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel ' Department of Postharvest Science, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel ' Dept. of Viticulture and Enology, UC Davis, USA ' University of California, UC Davis, CA 95616, USA ' Israel Fruit Grower's Association, Fruit Storage Res. Lab, Kiryat Shmona, Israel

Abstract: Apple and pear fruits stored at low temperatures may suffer from chilling injury symptoms, caused by oxidative stress. Application of a low-oxygen (LO2) atmosphere (0.5%) for 10 d at 20°C or 500 ppb 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) at 20°C for 24 h, prior to cold storage at 0°C, were equally effective in reducing superficial scald on 'Granny Smith' apples, after six months of cold storage at 0°C plus seven days at 20°C. Compared to untreated control fruit, the LO2 and 1-MCP-treated fruit produced less ethylene, α-farnesene and its oxidation product, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (MHO), as determined by SPME/GC-MS technique. In addition, LO2 pretreatment applied to Californian 'Bartlett' or Israeli 'Spadona' pears, was effective in reducing superficial scald, senescent scald and internal breakdown, after 4-4.5 months of cold storage at -1°C or 0°C, respectively, plus five to seven days at 20°C. We assume that LO2 and 1-MCP pretreated fruit remained free of physiological disorders, due to the reduced production of ethylene and the oxidation product MHO during cold storage.

Keywords: Malus domestica; Pyrus communis L. ethylene; alpha-farnesene; 1-MCP; low oxygen treatment; superficial scald; pre-storage treatment; chilling injuries; deciduous fruit; apples; pears; oxidative stress; cold storage; ethylene.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPTI.2014.064139

International Journal of Postharvest Technology and Innovation, 2014 Vol.4 No.1, pp.23 - 32

Received: 18 Oct 2013
Accepted: 09 Jan 2014

Published online: 30 Aug 2014 *

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