Effects of harvest maturity on quality, physiological and pathological disorders during storage of Gala apples
Neri F.; Gualanduzzi S. and Brigati S.
5th International Postharvest Symposium . Volume of Abstract . Verona, Italy 6-11 June 2004, p.106
2004
บทคัดย่อ
The ‘Mondial Gala’ and ‘Royal Gala’ apples were picked at different stages of maturity (early, commercial and late harvest) and stored at 0°C for 60, 120 and 180 days. The trials were carried out for two years. The maturity indices were measured at harvest, during cold storage and after 7 days at 20°C, At the end of shelf-life, the incidence ofdiseases and disorders was determined as well as sensory evaluations. ‘Mondial Gala’ apples were also evaluated after 60 days of storage at 0°C and 14, 21 days of shelf-life at 20°C.
The best picking time for ‘Mondial Gala’ and ‘Royal Gala’ apples seems to be when starch degradation is 3.5-4 (scale 1-5). At this stage of maturity the fruits exhibited the best storability and quality. The incidence of superficial scald was low until 60 days of storage in all maturity stages. With differences between the years of experimentation and cv, the severity of superficial scald increased for longer storage periods and was higher in early harvested fruits. The fruits susceptibility to fungal diseases increased with the period of storage; late harvested fruits were more susceptible to rots. Internal breakdown appeared after 180 days of storage. Acceptable-good preference was attributed to fruits assessed at harvest and after 60 days of storage. Quality decreased noticeably when fruits were stored more than 120 days, due to the extreme loss of firmness, crispness, juiciness, acidity and fruity aroma with the increase of mealiness.
Shelf-life periods longer than 7 days at 20°C, experimented in ‘Mondial Gala’ apples after 60 days of storage, led to quality loss and increased the fruits susceptibility to rots and shrivel.