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Introduction. The objective of this study was to examine the relationships among the ripening attributes of ‘Honeycrisp’ apples at harvest and after storage, and the direct and indirect contributions of these attributes to peel greasiness and the incidence of soft scald and soggy breakdown during storage using correlation and path-coefficient analyses. Materials and methods. Fruit were harvested from a commercial orchard at least five times throughout the commercial harvest period during four subsequent years (2008 to 2011). In two of the years, fruit were stored in air for 3 months at 3 °C and/or in a controlled atmosphere (1–2 kPa O2 + 1–2 kPa CO2) for 6 months at 3 °C. Fruit were analyzed at harvest and after storage. Results and discussion. Negative correlations were detected between internal ethylene concentration (IEC) and soluble solids concentration (SSC) or titratable acidity (TA) (the higher the IEC, the lower the SSC and TA) and a positive correlation between firmness and TA (the higher the firmness, the higher the TA). More peel greasiness and higher incidence of soggy breakdown during storage were associated with lower firmness, SSC and TA. Negative correlations were also detected between the incidence of soft scald and IEC or peel greasiness. The results of the path-coefficient analyses suggest that, in ‘Honeycrisp’, interrelationships among postharvest ripening indices and each individual disorder differ. Three possible path models for the interrelationships among ripening attributes (independent variables) and the incidence of peel greasiness, soft scald and soggy breakdown (dependent variables) are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of rapid consecutive 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatments on apple quality and disorders in storage. 'McIntosh' and 'Spartan' apples were harvested twice from commercial orchards and 1-MCP (1 µL⋅L-1) was applied postharvest either 1 day after harvest or 1 and 2 days after harvest. Similar fruit from both cultivars were also not treated with 1-MCP, plus an additional treatment of 2 µL⋅L-1 (double rate) I-MCP was used on 'McIntosh'. Fruit were held in either air storage at 0.5 °C for three or six months or in controlled-atmosphere (CA) storage for six or nine months. Overall, 1-MCP treatment improved firmness and acidity retention and reduced internal ethylene in both cultivars. However, 'Spartan' stored in CA often maintained these attributes without 1-MCP. 'McIntosh' apples treated twice with 1-MCP were often firmer than those treated just once. All IMCP treatments substantially reduced superficial scald and there was no difference in scald incidence among the treatments. Core browning was generally reduced by 1-MCP, but fruit treated once with 2 µL⋅L-1 or twice with 1 µL.L-1 1-MCP sometimes had higher incidence than fruit treated only once with 1 µL⋅L-1. 'Spartan' treated twice with 1-MCP also had higher incidence of internal browning after nine months. 1-MCP increased the incidence of external CO2 injury in 'McIntosh' from the first harvest, with fruit treated with 2 µL⋅L-1 having the highest incidence after six months of CA storage and those treated once with 1 µL⋅L-1 having the highest incidence after nine months. Storage rots were greatest after six months of air storage and 1-MCP treatments usually reduced the incidence, regardless of treatment. These results suggest that using more than the traditional single application of 1 µL⋅L-1 1-MCP may improve firmness retention, but there is also some risk associated with increased disorders, especially when storing apples long-term, such as for six months in air or nine months in CA storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine correlation effects among the ripening attributes of ‘Empire’ and ‘Ambrosia’ apples during storage, and (2) to determine the direct and indirect contributions of these ripening attributes on the incidence of physiological disorders and storage rots using path-coefficient analysis. The analysis was applied to data obtained from a variety of harvest dates and storage regimes from apples. Pearson correlation analysis of the data indicated a strong positive correlation between internal ethylene concentration (IEC) and peel greasiness, a negative correlation between IEC and soluble solids concentration, and a negative correlation between firmness and peel greasiness in both cultivars, as well as a negative correlation between IEC and firmness in ‘Empire’. Results indicated that increased IEC in ‘Ambrosia’ apples during storage was related to higher incidences of core browning and lenticel damage and lower incidence of internal browning. Higher IEC in ‘Empire’ apples during storage was associated with less internal browning. Several significant correlations, representing different relationships among the ripening attributes and storage disorders were obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]