Abstract
1-MCP is a competitive, gaseous ethylene inhibitor, which binds irreversibly to ethylene receptors and thereby blocks effects of ethylene in plants. The potential for 1-MCP to delay ripening in avocado cv. ‘Pollock’ fruit was examined under tropical ambient storage conditions. Fruits harvested at commercial maturity were exposed to 300 nll-1 1-MCP gas for 20 h under 27± 2 ˚C and then stored under ambient conditions (27± 2 ˚C and relative humidity 65 ± 2%). Fruits were assessed daily for fresh weight, firmness, skin colour, fungal rot development and glossiness. The antifungal activity in diethylether extracts of fruit peel was assessed through thin layer chromatography (TLC) coupled with Cladosporium bioassay. Exposure to 1-MCP extended the shelf life up to 9 days of fruit by 2.2 fold as compared to the shelf life of 4 days of the controls. Stem end rot caused by Botryodiplodia theobromae was found to be the shelf-life determining factor of the fruits. 1-MCP treatment resulted in a significant (p< 0.05) delay in change in peel colour, softening and glossiness of fruit as compared to the controls. Bioassays using Cladosporium fungus revealed the presence of antifungal activity at Rf0.75 in both 1-MCP treated and control fruits. 1-MCP treatment was effective in delaying the decline of antifungal activity in fruit apparently along with the delay of other ripening-related changes and minimizing losses encountered during storage under warmer ambient conditions.
Highlights
Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is a fruit that is used as a dessert in many parts of the world and is reported to have many health promoting properties (Ding et al, 2007, Dreher and Davenport, 2013)
The most prominent disease observed throughout the study was stem end rot and the causative agent was identified as Botryodiplodia theobromae
Pathogens causing anthracnose was not isolated even after several attempts. 1-MCP treatment significantly reduced the severity of natural stem end rot development as compared with the control fruits (Fig. 1)
Summary
Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is a fruit that is used as a dessert in many parts of the world and is reported to have many health promoting properties (Ding et al, 2007, Dreher and Davenport, 2013). Avocado is a climacteric fruit characterized by an increase in ethylene production at the beginning of climacteric ripening (Wu et al, 2011). (Kotze, 1978; Johnson and Kotze, 1994) are the most common diseases that cause postharvest losses in avocado (Crane et al, 2001). Most of these postharvest pathogens remain quiescent on the fruit surface until the requirements for continuation of the infection process are fulfilled (Prusky and Lichter, 2008)
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