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2019 ASHS Annual Conference

Harvista Treatment Effects on Quality and Storage Disorders of ‘Honeycrisp’ Apples

Wednesday, July 24, 2019: 8:00 AM
Partagas 3 (Tropicana Las Vegas)
Christopher Watkins, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Yosef Al Shoffe, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Jacqueline F. Nock, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Yiyi Zhang, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Harvista (preharvest 1-methycyclopropene; 1-MCP) was applied to replicate rows of ‘Honeycrisp’ apples, either 2 weeks (early), 1 week (late), at 1 and 2 weeks (repeated), or at double rate 1 week, before first commercial harvest. Fruit were then untreated or treated with postharvest 1-MCP and stored at 0.5oC or 3oC for 20 weeks. Fruit quality and physiological disorders were assessed after 4 days at 20oC. Fruit from all Harvista treatments had lower internal ethylene concentrations (IECs) and were greener as indicated by higher IAD values compared with untreated controls. The starch pattern indices were lower in the repeated and double treatments than in control and other Harvista treatments. After storage, Harvista-treated fruit were firmer, but effects of the different Harvista treatments were inconsistent. Effects of 1-MCP on IEC and IAD values were greater at 0.5oC than at 3oC, but high incidences of soft scald, core browning and vascular browning, especially in Harvista-treated fruit at the lower temperature, confirmed that 3oC is the correct temperature for this cultivar. After storage at 3oC, Harvista-treated fruit had a higher incidence of bitter pit, but less skin wrinkling and senescent breakdown. 1-MCP treatment of Harvista fruit slightly decreased bitter pit incidence while greatly increasing that of core browning and leather blotch, and sometimes flesh browning and carbon dioxide injury. While Harvista may be a useful tool to delay harvest, effects on storage disorders must be taken into account, and caution used when 1-MCP applications are made to fruit after harvest.
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