Articles
QUALITY AND STORABILITY OF FIVE PLUM CULTIVARS (PRUNUS DOMESTICA L.) RELATED TO HARVEST DATE AND ULTRA LOW OXYGEN ATMOSPHERE STORAGE
Article number
876_13
Pages
109 – 114
Language
English
Abstract
Five plum (Prunus domestica L.) cultivars Jubileum, Opal, Vallor, Victoria and Vision were harvested at four different dates according to their skin superficial colour (40-90%), soluble solids concentration (SSC), flesh firmness, ethylene production and respiration rate, and stored for 5 weeks in five different conditions (air: 21.0 kPa O2 + 0.03 kPa CO2, ultra low oxygen atmosphere (ULO): 1.0 kPa O2 + 1.0 kPa CO2; 1.0 kPa O2 + 2.0 kPa CO2; 1.0 kPa O2 + 3.5 kPa CO2 and 1.0 kPa O2 + 5.0 kPa CO2), at 0.5°C, 90% RH, before they were ripened for 5 days at 10°C. Storage disorders and decay incidence were assessed.
Weight loss, flesh firmness, skin and flesh colour, SSC, titratable acidity (TA), and bioactive compounds (total phenols, carotenoids and ascorbic acid), were measured at harvest and after ripening.
Only Jubileum behaved as a suppressed-climacteric fruit and was best when harvested after growth was completed and colouration developed (more than 80%). The other four cultivars showed a typical climacteric ripening pattern and could be harvested for ULO storage while they were still growing.
Measurements of colour and SSC for Vallor and Victoria plums, SSC and TA for Opal and Vision plums, and only colour for Jubileum plums were the most practical methods to indicate optimum harvest dates.
Different cultivars responded differently to CO2 concentration, whereas high levels (more than 3 kPa) caused flavour deterioration and flesh browning, particularly in early harvested fruit. Opal, Vallor and Victoria were successfully stored in 1.0 kPa O2 + 2.0 kPa CO2, and Jubileum and Vision in 1.0 kPa O2 + 1.0 kPa CO2. In these conditions pathogenic decay was suppressed and acceptable quality was maintained.
The effects of harvest date and storage method on the bioactive compounds in each cultivar are reported for the first time.
Weight loss, flesh firmness, skin and flesh colour, SSC, titratable acidity (TA), and bioactive compounds (total phenols, carotenoids and ascorbic acid), were measured at harvest and after ripening.
Only Jubileum behaved as a suppressed-climacteric fruit and was best when harvested after growth was completed and colouration developed (more than 80%). The other four cultivars showed a typical climacteric ripening pattern and could be harvested for ULO storage while they were still growing.
Measurements of colour and SSC for Vallor and Victoria plums, SSC and TA for Opal and Vision plums, and only colour for Jubileum plums were the most practical methods to indicate optimum harvest dates.
Different cultivars responded differently to CO2 concentration, whereas high levels (more than 3 kPa) caused flavour deterioration and flesh browning, particularly in early harvested fruit. Opal, Vallor and Victoria were successfully stored in 1.0 kPa O2 + 2.0 kPa CO2, and Jubileum and Vision in 1.0 kPa O2 + 1.0 kPa CO2. In these conditions pathogenic decay was suppressed and acceptable quality was maintained.
The effects of harvest date and storage method on the bioactive compounds in each cultivar are reported for the first time.
Authors
I.I. Tahir, M.E. Olsson
Keywords
ethylene, ascorbic acid, ULO storage, storage decay, Brix, skin colour
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