Quality of Fundy and Blomidon lowbush blueberries: Effects of storage atmosphere, duration and fungal inoculation

Abstract

This study investigated the response of two cultivars of lowbush blueberries, Vaccinium angustifolium Ait., cultivars Fundy and Blomidon, to controlled atmosphere (CA) storage in all combinations of 1, 2, and 5% O2 and 0, 5, 10, and 15% CO2, and storage in air. A second set of samples was inoculated with a Botrytis-infected raspberry prior to storage to determine the effect of CA storage on decay development. The berries were held at 0 °C in air-tight chambers flushed each day for 30 min. Half-liter samples were stored for 2,4, and 6 wk in air or CA storage and then evaluated for percent unmarketable berries, firmness, titratable acids and percent decayed berries. This was followed by 7 d in air at 10 or 20 °C and recording of percent unmarketable berries. The experiment was replicated over 2 yr. Both cultivars responded positively to CA storage. Increasing CO2 in the presence of 1–5% O2 reduced decay and the percent unmarketable berries and maintained titratable acids and berry firmness levels. After 42 d of storage, Fundy had 30.5% unmarketable berries in air storage, compared with 8.7% in 15% CO2. Blomidon had 36.0% and 6.8% unmarketable berries in air and 15% CO2, respectively. Decreasing O2 reduced the percentage decayed berries and maintained titratable acids. Botrytis inoculation before storage reduced berry quality, but cultivars responded differently. The quality of berries 7 d after removal from storage was influenced primarily by cultivar, storage time and shelf temperature and not by storage atmosphere. Key words:Vaccinium angustifolium, oxygen, carbon dioxide, shelf-life, firmness, titratable acidity, decay, CA storage