Inducing Optimal Ripening Capacity of 1-MCP-treated `Bartlett' Pears after Regular Air or Controlled Atmosphere Storage

Abstract

`Bartlett' pears were treated with 300 nL·L-1 1-MCP at 20°C for 24 h shortly after harvest, and were stored at -1 °C in either regular atmosphere (RA) or controlled atmosphere (CA: 1.5 kPa O2 / 0.5 kPa CO2). After 2 and 4 months of RA storage, or 4 months of CA storage, fruit were pre-conditioned at 10 °C, 15 °C or 20 °C for 5, 10, or 20 days, respectively. Pre-conditioned fruit were then held at 20 °C for 14 days to simulate marketing conditions. Flesh firmness (FF) and extractable juice (EJ) were monitored during the marketing period. The optimal stage of ripeness for `Bartlett' pears was defined to be when FF decreases to 27 N and EJ decreases to 55 mL/100 g. The proper pre-conditioning combinations of temperature and duration were 15 °C or 20 °C for 10 d or 10 °C for 20 d if the fruit had been stored in RA for 2 months, 10 °C or 15 °C for 5 d if the fruit had been in RA for 4 months, and 20 °C for 10 d or 10°C for 20 d if the fruit had been in CA for 4 months, for which combinations the fruit ripened within a week and maintained quality for 14 days at 20 °C. The treatment combinations of lower temperature and/or shorter duration times in pre-conditioning delayed the ripening response of the fruit, and combinations of higher temperature and/or longer duration times in pre-conditioning resulted in a shorter marketing life because of senescence breakdown, in comparison the optimal combinations mentioned above. These results indicate that pre-conditioning regimes for 1-MCP treated `Bartlett' pears are storage atmosphere and time dependent. Generally, CA stored fruit needed more preconditioning (in terms of higher temperature and/or longer duration) than did RA stored fruit.