Preventing loss of apple fruit quality during storage

2007 Impact statement
  • Watkins, Christopher Brian

abstract

Some apple varieties are susceptible to a storage disorder known as external carbon dioxide injury. The most susceptible varieties, McIntosh, Empire and Cortland, are important for the New York industry. This injury is visible on the skin of the fruit and can result in serious economic losses. Risk of injury is greater when fruit has been stored with the new SmartFresh technology that has had a huge positive impact for many New York apple varieties by maintaining texture not only during storage during marketing and in consumers’ homes. We have investigated post-harvest handling practices that may be associated with greater risk of injury and devised approaches that can be used by the industry to minimize risk of fruit loss.

submitted by

issue being addressed

Loss of fruit because of external carbon dioxide injury has been sporadic over the years, and especially severe in those storages where fruit are not treated with a post-harvest treatment with diphenylamine, a treatment that prevents development of another storage disorder, superficial scald. However, losses due to external carbon dioxide injury have become extremely severe in fruit treated with SmartFresh. This observation indicates that preventing ripening processes such as softening may also increase sensitivity of fruit to injury. Therefore, there were strong commercial and scientific reasons for studying this problem.

response

A series of studies were carried out to identify how carbon dioxide in the storage atmosphere and SmartFresh might interact. Both increasing carbon dioxide concentrations in the storage atmosphere and SmartFresh resulted in higher levels on external carbon dioxide injury. We found that Smartfresh did not increase the early period of fruit sensitivity in storage, which is about four weeks. However, SmartFresh did increase susceptibility of fruit by preventing the loss of sensitivity to carbon dioxide between harvest and storage. Treatment of fruit with diphenylamine completely eliminated injury. New recommendations for either taking special care to avoid carbon dioxide accumulations in the storage both during loading of the rooms and early in the storage period, or use of diphenylamine, were made to the industry at a Cornell storage workshop and at regional meetings.

impact assessment

The industry has incorporated these findings into their management protocols. Losses to Empire apples that had reached as much as 50 percent in some orchards, are no longer occurring. The post-harvest management protocols result in greater percentage pack-outs to market and increase economic returns to the industry.

academic priority area

has geographic focus

funding source description

  • New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
  • Multistate
  • Unrestricted funds

key personnel

  • Jackie Nock
  • Fanja Fawbush

mission focus

From CALS annual faculty reporting. Imported on August 5, 2008