Stone Fruit - Crop Post-Harvest: Science and Technology - page 247

Table 10.2 Effects of Storage Temperature on Storage and Shipping Potential of Nectarine Cultivars a .

Storage/ shipping
potential (weeks) Fruit type

Plant breeding
program

Flesh-stone adhesion Flesh texture Flesh color 0°C 5°C

Cultivar

Arctic Jay Zaiger Freestone Melting White 5 5

Arctic Snow Zaiger Freestone Melting White 5 2

Arctic Star Zaiger Clingstone Melting White 5 5

Arctic Sweet Zaiger Clingstone Melting White 5 3

August Glo Zaiger Clingstone Melting Yellow 3 1

August Red Bradford Clingstone Melting Yellow 5 3

Diamond Bright Bradford Clingstone Melting Yellow 5 5

Diamond Ray Bradford Clingstone Melting Yellow 5 5

Fire Pearl Bradford Clingstone Melting White 5 2

Grand Pearl Bradford Clingstone Melting White 2 1

Honey Blaze Zaiger Semifreestone Melting Yellow 5 5

Kay Sweet Bradford Clingstone Nonmelting Yellow 5 5

Ruby Diamond Bradford Freestone Melting Yellow 5 3

Ruby Pearl Bradford Clingstone Melting White 5 5

Ruby Sweet Bradford Clingstone Melting Yellow 5 5

September Free USDA Freestone Melting Yellow 3 1

September Red Bradford Clingstone Melting Yellow 4 1

Spring Red Anderson Freestone Melting Yellow 5+ 3

Summer Blush Bradford Clingstone Melting Yellow 5 1

Summer Bright Bradford Clingstone Melting Yellow 5 3

Summer Fire Bradford Clingstone Melting Yellow 5 3

Summer Grand Anderson Freestone Melting Yellow 5+ 5

Zee Glo Zaiger Clingstone Melting Yellow 3 3

Information was obtained from personal communications with Gary Van Sickle, Kevin Day, and David Ramming,
from Brooks and Olmos (1972), Whealy and Demuth (1993), Okie (1998), nursery catalogues and US patents.

a

and 10.2). In general, peach cultivars are more susceptible
to CI than nectarine cultivars. In susceptible cultivars, CI
symptoms develop faster and more intensely when fruit are
stored at temperatures between about 2°C and 7°C than
when similar fruit are stored at 0°C or below, but above
freezing point (Mitchell 1987; Table 10.3). At the shipping
point, fruit should be cooled and held near or below 0°C if
possible. During transportation if CI susceptible cultivars
are exposed to approximately 5°C, it can significantly
reduce their post-harvest life.
Several treatments to delay and limit development of
this disorder have been tested. Among them, precondition-
ing treatment before storage is being used commercially in
the United States, Chile and other countries. The success of
the controlled-atmosphere treatment in ameliorating CI is

dependent on cultivar market life potential, fruit tempera-
ture, shipping time and fruit size.

Post-harvest treatments to reduce deterioration
Controlled atmosphere (CA)
Most studies of CA storage of peaches and nectarines have
found that lowering O 2 and raising CO 2 in the storage
atmosphere conferred benefit on the fruit and delayed or
prevented the appearance of mealiness, internal reddening
and flesh browning (Zhou et al . 2000; Crisosto et al . 1995;
Lurie 1992; Retamales et al . 1992). The CO 2 component
appears to be critical for delaying the onset of CI (Wade
1981; Kajiura 1975; Anderson et al . 1969). Exposure to
10% CO 2 + 10% O 2 for 6 weeks has been reported to