OPTIMUM HARVEST DATE AND POST STORAGE QUALITY OF APPLES

Maturity indexes F/RS of five apple cultivars, "Elstar", "Jonagold", "Golden Delicious", "Gloster", and "Idared" from the Ljubljana region were determined. Each cultivar was harvested four or five times at one week intervals. Firmness, starch content, soluble solids and titratable acids were measured. All the samples were stored for approximately six months under CA conditions. After storage the same analyses were made once again, as well as sensory evaluation. According to all these analyses the optimal harvest date and the optimal maturity index FRS for all five cultivars were determined.