ISHS Acta Horticulturae 92: Symposium on Mineral Nutrition and Fruit Quality of Temperate Zone Fruit Trees
THE INFLUENCE OF ORCHARD NUTRITION ON THE STORAGE QUALITY OF APPLES AND PEARS GROWN IN THE UNITED KINGDOM |
| Author: | R.O. SHARPLES |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.1980.92.3 |
| Abstract:
Both orchard and climatic factors have a major influence on susceptibility to rotting and physiological storage disorders of the two most important UK commercial varieties, Cox's Orange Pippin and Bramley's Seedling. Marked differences in storage quality can be demonstrated when samples of fruit from different orchards are stored in the same chamber, either in air or controlled atmospheres (CA). The pronounced effects of season and site on the amounts of wastage are related, to some extent, tovariable cropping and climatic factors, but these interact with orchard management systems and fertilizer treatments to produce fruits of widely differing storage potential. Wastage is of particular significance in Cox and Bramley since both varieties have to be stored at the relatively high temperatures of 3.5 °C and 4 °C respectively to avoid the risk of low temperature breakdown (LTB). The two main UK varieties of pear, Conference and Doyenne du Comice, may be stored at -1 °C to 0 °C and wastage in store is generally negligible. However, climatic and orchard factors have been shown to affect both the ripening rate and eating qualities of pears grown in South Africa and North America (Sharples, 1973) and preliminary work has indicated similar effects in pears grown in S.E. England. The contribution of nutritional factors to variability in the storage quality of UK apples was first demonstrated in trials conducted by Wallace (1953) at Long Ashton Research Station between 1927 and 1938. Fruit from trees growing in grass rather than cultivation had a lower nitrogen content, ripened more slowly and were less susceptible to breakdown and rotting. Application of nitrogen fertilizers increased rotting and breakdown, particularly where potassium was also applied; high-potassium fruits were also affected by bitter pit and core flush. Potash deficiency was fairly common in commercial apple orchards during this period and fruit from these sites was shown to be more susceptible to LTB. Cox production increased considerably after the Second World War and this led to an urgent need to extend the storage life of the crop. In 1953 new investigations on Cox were initiated at East Malling Research Station and the former Ditton Laboratory (now incorporated as the Fruit Storage | |
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