573 Enhancing Red Color Development Without Over-ripening Apples by AVG (Aminoethoxyvinylglycine) Followed by Ethephon Treatment

Abstract

AVG applied alone to `Gala' and `Jonagold' apples delayed maturity and the onset of the ethylene climacteric and delayed red color development. AVG followed by ethephon delayed maturity and the onset of the ethylene climacteric, but promoted red color development of both cultivars. Ethephon applied alone advanced maturity, ethylene production, ripening, and red color development compared to AVG alone. In other studies, the ripening-related effects of these treatments were reflected in the storability of fruit in CA storage. AVG - and AVG + ethephon-treated fruit were still at preclimacteric ethylene levels after 6 months in CA storage, with excellent retention of flesh firmness and shelf-life, while ethephon and control fruits had significantly higher ethylene levels and softened more during storage and shelf-life evaluation. Collectively, our results indicate that an ethephon application following AVG treatment may be useful to overcome the delay of red color development of apples treated with AVG only and that this can be achieved without overly stimulating fruit ripening. Thus, a once-over harvest of `Gala' and `Jonagold' apples may be achieved with a significant reduction in harvest costs. We attribute the promotion of red color development of apples receiving AVG treatment with a follow-up application of ethephon to the action of ethylene temporally-released from ethephon stimulating the development of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway, while AVG inhibits the development of the endogenous ethylene climacteric. Inhibiting endogenous ethylene production delays fruit from producing their own ethylene. We attribute maturation uniformity to the action of AVG allowing the less mature fruits to gain maturity while slowing maturity development of the more mature fruits. Improved storability of AVG + ethephon-treated fruit is attributed to the same ethylene-related phenomena.