THE EFFECT OF 1-METHYLCYCLOPROPENE ON THE STORAGE POTENTIAL OF UK CULTIVAR PLUM (PRUNUS DOMESTICA)

‘Victoria’ plums were harvested at commercial maturity on one date, from two different agri-climatic areas, with ‘Marjorie’ plums harvested from one location at a later date.
Samples of the fruit were treated with 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP; Smartfresh™) within 12 hours of harvest, prior to storage in air.
The 1-MCP was applied at 650 nL L-1 for 24 hours at between 5 and 7°C. After treatment all fruit was stored in air at 1°C. Fruit was removed from the cold store at 7 day intervals, with each sample having a further subsample transferred to 20°C for 7 days shelf life.
The fruit quality was evaluated in the following ways; colorimeter (Minolta a* and Hue reading), the presence of decay, fruit flesh pressures and soluble sugars.
For both cultivars the most notable effect of 1-MCP was the improved firmness of fruit both from cold storage and after 7 days at 20°C. The agri-climate region had an effect on the fruit pressure in ‘Victoria’, with a 7 day benefit over the untreated sample for the firmness to drop below 4 kg cm^-2. The firmness for ‘Marjorie’ was around 3.5 kg cm^-2 at harvest, with the 1-MCP treatment sample maintaining this firmness, only falling below 3.5 after 35 days, the untreated control fell below this figure after 21 days.

V International Postharvest Symposium

M.S. Tully, S.J. Hanney, C.F.H. Bishop

´Victoria´, ´Marjorie´, 1-MCP, ethylene, colour, firmness, shelf life

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2005.682.210