Effects of new curing and controlled atmosphere storage technology on Botrytis rots and flesh firmness in kiwifruit.
Tonini, G.; Barberini, K.; Bassi, F.; Proni, R.;
Acta Horticulturae Year: 1999 Issue: No. 498 Pages: 285-291 Ref: 13 ref.
1999
บทคัดย่อ
In central and northern Italy, where kiwifruit harvesting is completed in a few days to avoid early frosts, the standard practice of curing at ambient temperatures to reduce Botrytis cinerea rots presents considerable logistical and warehousing difficulties. Controlled atmosphere (CA) storage, commonly used to maintain postharvest flesh firmness above 2 kg for more than 120-140 days, is known to favour the spread of Botrytis rots in central and northern Italy. Tests were undertaken during the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons to find curing systems that could be implemented directly in refrigerated rooms, and identify the effects of delaying establishment of CA conditions on rots and firmness. Each test batch consisted of 750 fruits. All curing and storage operations were carried out in a commercial packing house. Incidence of rots (Botrytis and Phialophora spp. rots) was evaluated after 150-180 days at -0.8 deg C; firmness and SSC [soluble solids concentration] was evaluated at harvest and after stor
age. It was possible to carry out curing directly in refrigerated rooms, by gradually reducing the temperature from 10 to 0 deg C over approximately 10 days. Postponing the establishment of CA conditions (O2 pull down and increasing CO2) by 30-50 days postharvest (CA delay), avoided the negative impact of CA storage (increasing Botrytis rots), without any adverse effects on fruit firmness.