ISHS Acta Horticulturae 69: II International Symposium on Pear Growing
THE MATURITY INDEX AT HARVEST AND THE PERIOD OF CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE STORAGE OF "DR. J. GUYOT" AND "BLANCA DE ARANJUEZ" PEARS |
| Author: | J.L. De la Plaza |
| Abstract:
In this report a study is made on the influence of the maturity degree at harvest and origin on the marketable period of storage in normal and controlled atmosphere, for the varieties "Dr. J. Guyot" ("Limonera") and "Blanca de Aranjuez" ("Blanquilla") of spanish pears, with a view to obtaining the desired market quality and the complete ripening. The only objective and practical maturity index at harvest for such pear varieties is firmness, while colour determined by colour-chart is a complementary test apropiate for "Dr. J. Guyot" variety, because of its evolution during storage, but this is not the case for "Blanca de Aranjuez". Some troubles and physiological disorders occurred when the pears were treated in controlled atmosphere, without the adequate maturity index at harvest and when there was a certain delay between normal and controlled atmosphere conditions. Of these disorders, as limitig factors of practical storage, the most common ones are various forms of scald to which the "Dr. J. Guyot" variety is very susceptible, and the brownheart in the case of "Blanca de Aranjuez", which represents the mainly waste of fruit. Under certain conditions the evolution of ripening is blocked and it is not reversible even with complementary ripening at high temperatures, that is required when the maturity index at the end of the cold storage is above 2.5 kg for "Dr. J. Guyot" and 3.5 kg for "Blanca de Aranjuez", by using a penetrometer plunger 7.9 mm | |
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