Timing of Ethylene Inhibition Affects Internal Browning and Quality of ‘Gala’ Apples in Long-Term Low Oxygen Storage

The objective of this study was to evaluate the timing of ethylene inhibition with preharvest and postharvest 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatments on internal browning and quality of ‘Gala’ apples in long-term low O(2) storage. ‘Gala’ apples were obtained from the same commercial orchard during their harvesting period for 2 years of study. Preharvest 1-MCP orchard spray (3.8% a.i) was applied at the label rate of 60 g 1-MCP per acre in the first year. Postharvest 1-MCP (1 μl L(−1)) treatments were made for 24 h at 0.5°C either at harvest time (1 day after harvest) or after storage in controlled atmosphere (CA) in both years. Apples were stored in 1.5 kPa O(2) + 0.5 kPa CO(2) or 0.6 kPa O(2) + <0.5 kPa CO(2) for 9 months in the first year and 1.5, 1.0, or 0.5 kPa O(2) + 0.5 kPa CO(2) for 8 months in the second year. Storage regimes with O(2) concentrations less than 1 kPa were based on fruit respiration using SafePod™ technology. After removal from storage, all apples were then evaluated for internal browning and other quality attributes after 1, 7, and 14 days at room temperature (RT, 21–22°C). Internal browning developed in ‘Gala’ apples during both years of study, with up to 16% incidence across treatments in the first year and up to 84% in the second year. Apples stored in 0.5–0.6 kPa O(2) had significantly less internal browning during both years of study, compared to apples stored in higher O(2). The effect of 1-MCP on internal browning was negligible in 0.5–0.6 kPa O(2) storage. ‘Gala’ stored in 1.5 kPa O(2) and treated with postharvest 1-MCP after storage had significantly less internal browning with preharvest 1-MCP than those without preharvest treatment. Apples treated with postharvest 1-MCP at harvest time, instead of after storage, did not exhibit this same effect. Preharvest 1-MCP-treated fruit maintained greater firmness retention than those without preharvest 1-MCP, and this effect was further enhanced when 1-MCP was applied after storage. Postharvest 1-MCP had no effect on firmness retention in fruit without preharvest 1-MCP, but lower O(2) maintained greater firmness in those apples. Preharvest 1-MCP had no significant effect on internal ethylene concentration, whereas it was reduced by postharvest 1-MCP at harvest time in the first year of study, regardless of storage regimes. However, internal ethylene was only affected by storage regime in the second year, with lower concentration in fruit from 0.5 kPa O(2) than in those from higher O(2). Greasiness developed only in the second year and postharvest 1-MCP consistently reduced it, regardless of treatment timing and storage regime. There was no greasiness in apples treated with postharvest 1-MCP at harvest and then held in 0.5 kPa O(2) for 8 months plus 14 days at room temperature. Soluble solids concentration and malic acid content were slightly higher in ‘Gala’ apples with preharvest 1-MCP compared to those without, whereas there was little and inconsistent effect of postharvest 1-MCP on these attributes. Overall, storage regimes with less than 1 kPa O(2) provided the least amount of internal browning and best quality attributes. Ethylene inhibition provided further benefits, but this was dependent on the timing of 1-MCP treatment.