Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wenatchee, Washington » Physiology and Pathology of Tree Fruits Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #367308
Research Project: Developmental Genomics and Metabolomics Influencing Temperate Tree Fruit Quality

Location: Physiology and Pathology of Tree Fruits Research

Title: Storage environment impacts on ‘Honeycrisp’ apple volatile production [abstract]

Author
item Mattheis, James
item Rudell, David

Submitted to: International Society for Horticultural Science Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/15/2020
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Apple storage conditions, including low pO2 and high pCO2 controlled atmospheres (CA), impact apple fruit volatile compound production. Particularly for low pO2 utilized to control superficial scald and reduce firmness loss for susceptible cultivars, the impacts of CA on post-storage production of volatile compounds contributing to fruit aroma are significant. Previous work indicates CA impacts on volatile production are reduced as pO2 increases but scald control and/or firmness management are compromised as pO2 increases. ‘Honeycrisp’ is a non-softening cultivar that is susceptible to chilling injury at harvest necessitating a conditioning period at relatively high temperature. As softening and scald are not issues for this cultivar, a CA with pO2 1kPa or less is not essential for quality maintenance. As previous research with other cultivars indicates impacts of CA on volatile compound production decrease with increased CA pO2, impacts of static and dynamic CA with pO2 well above 1kPa on ‘Honeycrisp’ post-storage volatile production and fruit quality were evaluated. Results with ‘Honeycrisp’ indicate CA storage results in altered post-storage volatile production but simple relationships between CA mean pO2 and volatile production are not apparent. CA alters ‘Honeycrisp’ volatile production regardless of storage temperature, and relationships among volatiles produced during storage and development of chilling injury are detectable. Dynamic CA where pO2 was set to 2.5kPa with periods in air resulting in mean pO2 of 3.4, 5.1 or 6.9kPa over the storage period influenced volatile compound production but not in a manner consistent with average pO2 (volatile production did not always increase with increased pO2). CA with a mean pO2 of 5.1kPa achieved with continuous 5.1kPa O2 or with a 2.5 kPa O2 setpoint and various durations in air did not result in similar volatile production across these CA protocols.