Articles
Reassessing temperature and humidity storage conditions for maintaining quality of ‘Kakariki’ feijoa
Article number
1256_22
Pages
157 – 162
Language
English
Abstract
Feijoa (Acca sellowiana) is a fruit with significant market potential due to its aroma, nutritional content, and flavour.
In New Zealand the fruit is traded mostly in the local market due to its short storage life, however potential for export exists.
Recommendations for extending feijoa storage life suggest cool storage at 4°C. Nevertheless, this recommendation has not been assessed for newly released cultivars and does not give guidance on humidity control.
In this study storage conditions for a commonly-planted cultivar, ‘Kakariki’, were assessed.
Cool storage conditions were set at 1°C, 85% RH or 4°C, 88% RH (resulting in equal water vapour pressure deficits at both temperatures). Relative humidity effects on feijoa quality during storage were assessed by the use of a polyethylene polyliner in each tray for half of the treatments.
Despite good retention of some attributes indicating quality (firmness and skin colour) for up to 8 weeks at 1°C, many fruit developed chilling injury (internal browning) making it unsaleable and therefore causing huge losses.
At both 4 and 1°C the use of a polyliner resulted in reduced water loss, suggesting polyliners may be beneficial for feijoa storage.
Given the chilling injury results, it is imperative to consider treatments that may reduce chilling injury and yet maintain fruit quality.
One such treatment could be the use of low temperature conditioning which may acclimatise fruit to increase chilling tolerance.
In New Zealand the fruit is traded mostly in the local market due to its short storage life, however potential for export exists.
Recommendations for extending feijoa storage life suggest cool storage at 4°C. Nevertheless, this recommendation has not been assessed for newly released cultivars and does not give guidance on humidity control.
In this study storage conditions for a commonly-planted cultivar, ‘Kakariki’, were assessed.
Cool storage conditions were set at 1°C, 85% RH or 4°C, 88% RH (resulting in equal water vapour pressure deficits at both temperatures). Relative humidity effects on feijoa quality during storage were assessed by the use of a polyethylene polyliner in each tray for half of the treatments.
Despite good retention of some attributes indicating quality (firmness and skin colour) for up to 8 weeks at 1°C, many fruit developed chilling injury (internal browning) making it unsaleable and therefore causing huge losses.
At both 4 and 1°C the use of a polyliner resulted in reduced water loss, suggesting polyliners may be beneficial for feijoa storage.
Given the chilling injury results, it is imperative to consider treatments that may reduce chilling injury and yet maintain fruit quality.
One such treatment could be the use of low temperature conditioning which may acclimatise fruit to increase chilling tolerance.
Authors
J. Oseko, A.R. East, J.A. Heyes
Keywords
Acca sellowiana, polyliner, chilling injury, cool storage
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