Effects of high-humidity storage on quality, decay and storage life of cherry, lemon and peach fruits

https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-4238(84)90022-0Get rights and content

Abstract

Sweet cherries (Prunus avium (L.) ‘Lambert’ and ‘Blackboy’), lemons (Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. ‘Lisbon’) and peaches (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, ‘Summerset’) were stored at 77–83, 90–94 and 95–99% RH (high humidity) at near-optimal storage temperatures after harvest and treatment with fungicides. High-humidity storage did not increase the storage life of peaches held at 0°C, but the life expectancy of cherries (both cultivars) was extended by 7–10 days at 0°C, and of lemons by at least 4 weeks at 10°C when fruit were stored at 95–99% RH compared with levels below 95%. The beneficial effects of high humidity were attributed to retardation of peel desiccation and associated reductions in fruit deformation, peel de-greening, chilling-injury and decay in lemons and to the maintenance of a fresher stalk and a firmer, less shrivelled fruit in cherries. High humidity had no effect on decay in cherries or peaches, but it significantly reduced weight loss and delayed the appearance of shrivel in peaches stored at 0°C. However, after storage at high humidity for 4 weeks, peaches ripened with low rates of C2H4 evolution and showed severe low-temperature injury, slight peeling-injury and a poor flavour ex-store.

References (24)

  • B.L. Wild et al.

    Long term storage of lemon fruit

    Australian Citrus News

    (1977)
    B.L. Wild et al.

    Long term storage of lemon fruit

    Australian Citrus News

    (1977)
    B.L. Wild et al.

    Long term storage of lemon fruit

    Australian Citrus News

    (1977)
  • G. Adams

    Forced air cooling and high humidity systems as applied to the modern cool store

  • R. Ben-Arie et al.

    Control of woolly breakdown of ‘Elberta’ peaches in cold storage by intermittent exposure to room temperature

    J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci.

    (1970)
  • S. Ben Yehoshua

    Gas exchange, transpiration and the commercial deterioration in storage of orange fruit

    J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci.

    (1969)
  • S. Ben Yehoshua et al.

    Some physiological effects of delaying deterioration of citrus fruits by individual seal packaging in high density polyethylene film

    J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci.

    (1979)
  • S. Ben Yehoshua et al.

    Decay control and fungicide residues in citrus fruits seal-packed in a high density polyethylene film

    Pestic. Sci.

    (1981)
  • R.J. Cook et al.

    Role of water potential in microbial growth and development of plant disease, with special reference to postharvest pathology

    HortScience

    (1978)
  • K. Gillespie

    Control of stem-end rots in stored citrus

    Dep. Agric. Packingshed Newsl.

    (1981)
  • W. Grierson et al.

    Relative humidity effects on the postharvest life of fruits and vegetables

    HortScience

    (1978)
  • R.E. Hardenburg

    Use of plastic films in maintaining quality of fresh fruits and vegetables during storage and marketing

    Am. Soc. Heat. Refrig. Air Cond. Eng. Bull.

    (1973)
  • H.W. Hruschka

    Postharvest weight loss and shrivel in five fruits and five vegetables

    U.S. Dep. Agric. Mark. Res. Rep.

    (1977)
  • A.C. HulmeA.C. Hulme
  • Cited by (0)

    View full text