Integration of curing treatments with degreening to control the main postharvest diseases of clementine mandarins
Pilar Plaza, Ana Sanbruno, Josep Usall, Neus Lamarca, Rosario Torres, Joan Pons and Immaculad Viñas
Postharvest Biology and Technology Volume 34, Issue 1 , October 2004, Pages 29-37
2004
บทคัดย่อ
The practical integration of curing treatments with degreening was evaluated on ‘Clemenules’ mandarins harvested at two maturity stages. Fruitwere inoculated with Penicillium digitatum, P. italicum or Geotrichum candidum before: (1) degreening at 20 °C and 90% RH, with 5–10ml ml-1 of ethylene (standard degreening); (2) curing and degreening at 33 °C for the first 65 h of the degreening process; or (3) degreening at 40 °C for the first 24 h of the degreening process. Controlfruitwere kept at 20 °C without exogenous ethylene exposure.Fruitquality was also evaluated during degreening and the subsequent marketing periods at 20 °C for 7 days. Seven days after inoculation, both degreening treatments using curing conditions successfully controlled green and blue mold decay, regardless of harvest date. Sour rot was significantly reduced by the degreening treatment at 40 °C for the first 24 h on late harvestedfruit.On early and late harvestedfruit,commercially acceptable color (color index, CI ³ 6) was achieved 1 and 3 days later, respectively, onfruitdegreened at 40 °C for the first 24 h when compared to the standard degreenedfruit.Greater softening and lower acidity were observed on late harvestedfruitdegreened at 40 °C for the first 24 h compared to standard degreenedfruitafter a marketing period. Soluble solids did not differ among the treatments. A curing treatment at 40 °C for 24 h could be integrated with the current degreening process to control green and blue mold decay without deleterious effects onfruitmarket quality of early season mandarins.