THE ASSESMENT OF TEN APPLE CULTIVARS AND THEIR SUSCEPTIBILITY ON BRUISING AFTER STORAGE AND SHELF-LIFE OF FRUIT TREATED WITH 1-MCP

Abstract

Control fruits and fruits subjected to 1-MCP application were placed in cold storage at 2°C, 90% r.h. for 18 weeks. The susceptibility of ten apple cultivars: ‘Beni Shogun’, ‘Braeburn Hillwell’, ‘Elise’, ‘Gloster’, ‘Golden Delicious’, ‘Idared’, ‘Jonagold Decosta’, ‘Ligol’, ‘Mutsu’ and ‘Šampion’ was tested using an impact test to obtain bruising of fruits. The analyses were performed on fruits immediately after harvest and four times after different period of cold storage (9 and 18 weeks) and shelf-life (7 days). The following analysis and characteristics of apples were determined: soluble solids content, dry matter content, acidity, fruit mass and size, and firmness. Impact test was carried out by dropping a glass ball with a mass of 25.68 g from height of 40 cm, due to which kinetic energy value of 0.1 J was obtained. Slight differences in acidity and soluble solid content were observed. On the other hand, stress noticed at firmness test was significantly higher for fruits treated with 1-MCP. It was also observed that firmness decreases after the shelf-life and after storage of fruit at room temperature. The ‘Beni Shogun’ apples fruits stored for 9 weeks are most susceptible to bruising (volume = 438.26 mm3). After cold storage, less susceptible cultivar was ‘Szampion’, for which the volume of fruit bruise was 145.62 mm3 only. After 9 weeks of cold storage, for most cultivars, there was no significant differences in bruise volume; however, the shelf-life had significant influence by differing the cultivars, and for all studied cultivars, the bruise volume was lower.