Incidence of physiological and pathogen related storage disorders in three apple cultivars under different storage methods

A variety of biotic and abiotic factors can promote the development of physiological and pathogen related storage disorders in apple fruit. Nowadays, apples are stored in controlled atmosphere settings to delay senescence and consequently reduce quality loss post-harvest. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of various storage regimes such as RA (regular air), CA (controlled atmosphere), DCA-CD (dynamic controlled atmosphere based on carbon dioxide) and DCA-CD Plus with variable room temperature, each with and without 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) application, on the development of storage disorders in ‘Red Prince’, ‘Jonagold’ and ‘Pinova’ apples. Fruit health was assessed after 4 and after 8 months with an additional week under shelf-life conditions in both instances, to simulate disorder emergence during a marketing period. All treatments maintained a high percentage of healthy fruit in the tested cultivars for the shorter storage time. Disorder incidences increased with longer storage duration, especially in the following simulated shelf-life period. Highest disorder incidences were found in fruit stored under RA, presumably related to advanced fruit maturity. Storage under CA or either DCA technology improved fruit health. DCA-CD was confirmed to be a reliable storage technology in setting low pO₂ with different cultivars stored together without damaging fruit material. A suggested positive effect of elevated room temperatures in DCA stored fruit could not be observed. Usage of 1-MCP affected fruit health, although the effect was more pronounced in RA than in CA or DCA. The tested cultivars showed individual susceptibilities to fungal pathogens.