Journal article

Storage performance of two 'Pink Lady (R)' clones differs, but 1-MCP treatment is beneficial, regardless of maturity at harvest

Virginia G Williamson, Christine Frisina, Muhammad Naveed Tareen, Dario Stefanelli

SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE | ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV | Published : 2018

Abstract

Determining optimal apple harvest time is important for effective postharvest treatments and also for maintenance of quality along the supply chain. A non-destructive instrument, the DA meter, was used to measure changes in absorbance near the upper chlorophyll-a absorption peak and to segregate commercially harvested fruit into two ripeness levels. DA meter readings were made at harvest and following cold (regular air) storage removals for two ‘Pink Lady®’ clones, ‘Cripps Pink’ and ‘Rosy Glow’. In addition, the destructive maturity and/or quality indicators of starch pattern index, fruit firmness, and soluble solids were determined and ethylene and CO2 production were monitored at harvest a..

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Grants

Funding Acknowledgements

We thank Kevin, Peter and Bob Sanders from YV Fruits for provision of the apples used in this experiment, for organising the 1-MCP treatment and for storing the apples during the 7.5 month experimental period. We are grateful to funding from two sources at the University of Melbourne, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences: Masters research project fund to M.N. Tareen and a Frank Keenan Scholarship. We also thank Associate Professor Graham Hepworth for statistical advice, Fahad Khan for assisting us to set up the storage experiment and Jane Rollinson for help with data collection.