PREHARVEST SOYBEAN OIL AND POSTHARVEST 1-METHYLCYCLOPROPENE (1-MCP) APPLICATION TO ‘GOLDEN DELICIOUS’ APPLES AFFECTS VOLATILE AROMA PRODUCTION AFTER CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE STORAGE

To study the effect of growing season applied soybean oil on pre- and post-storage volatile aroma regeneration capacities and fatty acid metabolism of apples, one single treatment (21 days before harvest) of soybean oil emulsion (1% food grade oil, 0.1% Latron) was administered to ‘Golden Delicious’ apple trees.
Apples were harvested at commercial maturity.
At the time of storage a second treatment was applied to either control or soybean oil treated pre-climacteric fruit, consisting of 0.70 μl·L^-1 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP). The fruit were then stored for up to 140 days at 0.5°C under 1% O₂ and 0.2% CO₂ controlled atmosphere (CA) storage conditions and analyzed after holding at 22°C for 0, 3, 7, 11 and 15 days.
No significant effects due to soybean oil treatment were noted for fatty acid distribution. 1-MCP treated fruit lost linolenic acid (C18:3) at a slower rate and linoleic acid (C18:2) did not increase as fast compared to untreated fruit stored under CA conditions.
Soybean oil application significantly increased the mean volatile and aldehyde emission, as well as hexanal and 2-hexenal levels of fruit directly after CA storage (day 0). No significant treatment effects were observed for mean alcohol concentrations of fruit after storage and/or at-harvest shelf-life period.
Soybean oil application did improve regeneration capacities of straight chain esters and significantly increased the emission of the branched chain ester 2-methyl-butyl acetate compared to untreated fruit.

IX International Controlled Atmosphere Research Conference

I. Müller, D.S. Mattinson, J.K. Fellman

Malus × domestica, horticultural oil, fruit quality, flavour regeneration

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.857.33