Physiological changes associated with the development of woolliness in ‘Peregrine’ peaches during low-temperature storage

Abstract

SummaryThe effects of different durations of storage and temperature on the development of woolliness in peaches (Prunus persica cv. Peregrine) were studied. All peaches became woolly during ripening for 12 days at 10°C following storage at 2°C but only 75% of those stored at –0.6°C developed this disorder. Firmness and the respiration rate of woolly peaches decreased sharply at the onset of woolliness while peaches which subsequently became woolly had a lower ethylene content throughout the storage and ripening periods. When peaches were held for 2 days at 23°C before storage at either temperatures, few fruit developed symptoms of woolliness. Although the amount of extractable juice remained high in fruit stored without pre-treatment at 23°C, the quantity fell rapidly during the ripening of peaches which became woolly.