Articles
EFFECT OF ROOTSTOCK, HARVEST DATE AND STORAGE TIME ON ‘FORELLE’ PEAR FRUIT QUALITY AFTER COLD STORAGE
Article number
940_70
Pages
491 – 497
Language
English
Abstract
The blushed pear cultivar Forelle is the second most important export pear cultivar in South Africa, but may sporadically develop mealiness, a dry texture disorder, after cold storage.
The cause has been associated with maturity at harvest, high temperatures prior to harvest or insufficient cold storage.
As rootstock may influence fruit maturity, fruit from Forelle on six rootstocks in one orchard were harvested before and after commercial maturity during two seasons.
Fruit were then cold stored for 10, 12 and 14 weeks at -0.5°C and regular atmosphere and then for one week at 15°C. Fruit maturity parameters (firmness, TSS, colour, blush and mealiness) from each rootstock were recorded at harvest and after each storage period.
Harvest date influenced all parameters at harvest and the changes that occurred during storage in both seasons.
Rootstock vigour influenced harvest maturity in both seasons. Fruit from the more vigorous rootstocks BP1 and BP3 were greener with lower TSS and less blush, but with similar firmness and with higher N and Ca, than fruit from the more dwarfing rootstocks OHF97, QA, QC51 and BA29. These greener fruit were less inclined to be mealy, but did not ripen normally.
During the first season fruit firmness increased during the first 10 weeks storage, but during the second season fruit firmness decreased during storage.
Fruit firmness at harvest influenced changes during storage.
Fruit TSS and colour tended to increase during the initial 10 weeks storage in both seasons.
There was little change in blush in both seasons.
There was no storage breakdown after any cold storage period, but all fruit became mealy during one week at 15°C. Mealiness developed faster in fruit when harvested more mature. There were no significant correlations between fruit firmness, TSS and colour changes throughout the storage period.
These results provided no definitive answer as to the relationship between fruit maturity at harvest and development of mealiness after storage.
The cause has been associated with maturity at harvest, high temperatures prior to harvest or insufficient cold storage.
As rootstock may influence fruit maturity, fruit from Forelle on six rootstocks in one orchard were harvested before and after commercial maturity during two seasons.
Fruit were then cold stored for 10, 12 and 14 weeks at -0.5°C and regular atmosphere and then for one week at 15°C. Fruit maturity parameters (firmness, TSS, colour, blush and mealiness) from each rootstock were recorded at harvest and after each storage period.
Harvest date influenced all parameters at harvest and the changes that occurred during storage in both seasons.
Rootstock vigour influenced harvest maturity in both seasons. Fruit from the more vigorous rootstocks BP1 and BP3 were greener with lower TSS and less blush, but with similar firmness and with higher N and Ca, than fruit from the more dwarfing rootstocks OHF97, QA, QC51 and BA29. These greener fruit were less inclined to be mealy, but did not ripen normally.
During the first season fruit firmness increased during the first 10 weeks storage, but during the second season fruit firmness decreased during storage.
Fruit firmness at harvest influenced changes during storage.
Fruit TSS and colour tended to increase during the initial 10 weeks storage in both seasons.
There was little change in blush in both seasons.
There was no storage breakdown after any cold storage period, but all fruit became mealy during one week at 15°C. Mealiness developed faster in fruit when harvested more mature. There were no significant correlations between fruit firmness, TSS and colour changes throughout the storage period.
These results provided no definitive answer as to the relationship between fruit maturity at harvest and development of mealiness after storage.
Authors
M.S. North, K. de Kock, M. Booyse
Keywords
blush, colour, firmness, mealiness, Pyrus communis, TSS
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