Articles
VARIATION IN THE STORAGE LIFE OF ‘LOBO’, ‘AROMA’, ‘RED ATLAS’ AND ‘RAIKE’ APPLES DURING THREE YEARS
Article number
485_17
Pages
133 – 140
Language
Abstract
The impact of commercial harvest dates on the storage life of four apple cultivars grown in the Åland Islands district of Finland (59–61° N, 19–20° E) was investigated during 1993 – 1995. The effective temperature sums (above +5°C) during the growing seasons until the harvest dates were: 1071–1092 (1993), 1174–1274 (1994) and 1299 degree days (1995), and the amounts of rainfall during May-September were 267, 273 and 169 mm, respectively.
The commercial harvesting dates of apples were as follows: 23 Sept 1993 and 14 Sept 1994 for ‘Raike’ and ‘Red Atlas’; 3 Oct 1993 and 6 Oct 1994 for ‘Lobo’ and ‘Aroma’ and 11 Oct 1995 for all cultivars.
Number of days from flowering until harvest was approximately: 130, 120 and 135 for ‘Raike’ and ‘Red Atlas’ and 140, 145, and 135 for ‘Lobo’ and ‘Aroma’ during 1993, 1994 and 1995, respectively.
Apples were stored for 3, 4 and 6 months at +2 to +4°C and 90–95% relative humidity (RH). At harvest, firmness per diameter was highest, diameter smallest and soluble solids content (SSC) lowest in all cultivars in 1993. ‘Aroma’ showed highest firmness at harvest but after 2–3 months of storage the firmness per diameter of all cultivars declined to the same level.
The SSC was highest in the juice of ‘Aroma’ (1994) and ‘Lobo’ (1995), the titratable acidity was highest in the juice of ‘Red Atlas’ and lowest in the juice of ‘Lobo’; and the ratio of soluble solids/acid was highest in the juice of ‘Lobo’ and lowest in ‘Red Atlas’. The titratable acidity and percentage of soluble solids decreased and pH and soluble solids/acid ratio increased after 1 and 2 months of storage.
In 1993 and 1994, the incidence of physiological disorders after 3 month storage was about 10%. In 1993, ‘Red Atlas’ could be stored for 6 months, but the high incidence of physiological disorders in ‘Raike’ and ‘Lobo’ after 3 month of storage might be related to too early harvest.
In 1995, ‘Lobo’ could be stored for 6 months.
Possibly because of late harvest, however, the other cultivars were susceptible to physiological disorders at an earlier stage of storage.
The commercial harvesting dates of apples were as follows: 23 Sept 1993 and 14 Sept 1994 for ‘Raike’ and ‘Red Atlas’; 3 Oct 1993 and 6 Oct 1994 for ‘Lobo’ and ‘Aroma’ and 11 Oct 1995 for all cultivars.
Number of days from flowering until harvest was approximately: 130, 120 and 135 for ‘Raike’ and ‘Red Atlas’ and 140, 145, and 135 for ‘Lobo’ and ‘Aroma’ during 1993, 1994 and 1995, respectively.
Apples were stored for 3, 4 and 6 months at +2 to +4°C and 90–95% relative humidity (RH). At harvest, firmness per diameter was highest, diameter smallest and soluble solids content (SSC) lowest in all cultivars in 1993. ‘Aroma’ showed highest firmness at harvest but after 2–3 months of storage the firmness per diameter of all cultivars declined to the same level.
The SSC was highest in the juice of ‘Aroma’ (1994) and ‘Lobo’ (1995), the titratable acidity was highest in the juice of ‘Red Atlas’ and lowest in the juice of ‘Lobo’; and the ratio of soluble solids/acid was highest in the juice of ‘Lobo’ and lowest in ‘Red Atlas’. The titratable acidity and percentage of soluble solids decreased and pH and soluble solids/acid ratio increased after 1 and 2 months of storage.
In 1993 and 1994, the incidence of physiological disorders after 3 month storage was about 10%. In 1993, ‘Red Atlas’ could be stored for 6 months, but the high incidence of physiological disorders in ‘Raike’ and ‘Lobo’ after 3 month of storage might be related to too early harvest.
In 1995, ‘Lobo’ could be stored for 6 months.
Possibly because of late harvest, however, the other cultivars were susceptible to physiological disorders at an earlier stage of storage.
Authors
R. Dris
Keywords
firmness, fruit maturity, juice pH, Malus domestica Borkh., storage disorders, soluble solids, titratable acidity
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