Climactic conditions during growth relate to risk of Pink LadyTM apples developing flesh browning during storage
H. James, J. Jobling, D. Tanner, S. Tustin, I. Wilkinson
Program and Abstract. 9th Controlled Atmosphere Research Conference (CA2005). Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA. July 5-10, 2005. page18
2005
บทคัดย่อ
Climactic conditions during two distinct periods of the growth and development of Pink LadyTM apples may be associated with the development of two expressions of flesh browning (FB) symptoms. The expression of symptoms has been linked to certain seasonal and storage conditions and several factors have been implicated in the development of the disorder. Variation in the expression of FB in Pink LadyTM apples has been observed between different growing districts over the last two seasons. This could be related to climatic conditions, for example low temperatures during the 50 days after full bloom growth period are speculated to increase the risk of CO2 injury during storage as the cooler growing conditions result in more dense fruit with reduced gas diffusivity. Such fruit may accumulate high internal levels of CO2 resulting in a predisposition to develop CO2 related FB known as Radial FB. Pink LadyTM apples grown in districts experiencing <1300 cumulative growing degree days from full bloom to harvest are at an increased risk of Diffuse FB. Another climatic risk is if there is a low diurnal temperature variation during the 60 days prior to harvest maturity which is associated with reduced blush colour development. This situation results in growers delaying harvest in order to maximize the development of blush in order to meet strict quality guidelines designed for marketing of the cultivar under the trademark. Such fruit have an increased risk of developing both types of FB. Our results also show that the risk of developing both types of FB is higher, with advanced fruit maturity at harvest. The atmospheric conditions and length of time of storage have also been shown to influence the severity of the disorder.