INFLUENCE OF HARVEST DATE ON FRUIT QUALITY AND STORABILITY OF ‘BRAEBURN’ APPLES

The new apple variety Braeburn, was introduced to Austria in 1990. Due to its outstanding consumer acceptance, it is becoming a very important variety, but in comparison with other varieties, Braeburn is very susceptible to physiological disorders in the field and during storage. Especially fruit from undercropped trees is highly susceptible to bitter pit, lenticel blotch pit and high CO₂ levels (> 1,0%) during storage (Frasnelli et al., 1996; Elgar et al., 1999). The storage quality of Braeburn apples is limited by the development of a typical browning disorder called “Braeburn browning disorder” (BBD) within the fruit flesh. Susceptibility to BBD is higher in fruit exposed to high CO₂-levels during storage (Elgar et al., 1998, 1999).