STORAGE TRIALS OF ‘AROMA’ APPLES AT THE AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY OF NORWAY

Storage in controlled atmosphere (CA) of apples or other fruits and vegetables has previously not been used commercially in Norway.
Small scale experiments from as early as the fifties indicate that CA-storage may be profitable for some of the varieties. ‘Aroma’ is the most interesting variety for storage in Norway.
It is subject to water loss and to Gloeosporium rot (Phlyctaena vagabunda – syn. Gloeosporium album and Cryptosporiopsis curvispora – syn. Gloeosporium perennans) after harvest, especially in connection with late picking dates.
In 1991 a computerized small scale equipment for CA-experiments was installed at the Department of Horticulture.
The first storage period with a range of 2–3% oxygen and 2–3% carbon dioxide resulted in far better ‘Aroma’-quality in January, February and March, compared with fruits stored in air at the same temperature.

Weight loss, diseases, skin colour, fruit firmness, soluble solids, acidity, vitamin C and taste were registered at the end of the storage period, after one week in cold store, and after one week at room temperature; simulating shelf-life.
There was no pre-harvest treatment against storage diseases and the apples were picked rather late, in the first week of October.
One of the most interesting results was the depression of Gloeosporium rot under CA-conditions.

International Symposium on Pre- and Postharvest Physiology of Pome-fruit

K.E. Haffner

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1993.326.34