The effects of high CO2pre-storage treatments and rate of establishment of controlled atmosphere conditions on bitter pit and bruise susceptibility of ‘Bramley’s Seedling’ apples

Abstract

SummaryBitter pit incidence in Bramley apples that were cooled prior to either slow (three weeks) or rapid (one day) establishment of controlled atmosphere (CA) conditions (9% CO2, 12% O2) was 14.7 and 3.2% respectively. Bruise susceptibility was also reduced by rapid CA establishment although the rate of fruit softening was unaffected. The control of bitter pit by pre-storage treatment with 15–25% CO2 for one to three weeks was no better than by rapid establishment of CA, although bruise susceptibility was further reduced by some treatments. Some pre-storage treatments caused injury to the apple skin and flesh (brownheart). The extent to which fruits were injured was dependent on CO2 concentration and the duration of CO2 treatment. There was some evidence that early picked fruit not cooled prior to CO2 treatment was more severely injured both internally and externally by CO2 than that harvested later and cooled prior to treatment.