Project Detail
Project Number
P 07-07
Project Leader
H. Bergman
Institution
ExperiCo Agri-Research Solutions
Team Members
-
Student(s)
-
Date Started
March, 2007
Date Completed
September, 2009
Determine the benefits of using SmartFreshSM on the storage quality of optimum and post-optimum maturity Forelle pears
Executive Summary
- Delayed harvest resulted in sweeter and larger Forelle pears. However, flesh firmness was slightly lower, skin ground colour more advanced and the red skin colour slightly decreased.
- Efficacy data indicated that the SmartFreshSM application was successful on both harvest maturities (H1 and H2).
- SmartFreshSM was effective in maintaining flesh firmness during storage and resulted in sweet, crisp and juicy fruit after cold storage and a 7 day shelf-life period, regardless of harvest maturity.
- Flesh firmness indicated that Harvest 1 fruit were firmer than Harvest 2 fruit at the end of shelf life, which may be a combined effect of firmer fruit at time of Harvest 1, and a higher ripening potential of Harvest 2 fruit, since Harvest 2 fruit were physiologically more advanced.
- Since little mealiness and no astringency occurred in post-optimum fruit at the higher SmartFreshSM concentration after 6 weeks cold storage, this treatment may reduce the mandatory 12 week storage period by 3 weeks, with fruit ripening sufficiently. Similar results were found in the 2008 trial, where fruit were successfully cold stored for 4 weeks, which would reduce the mandatory 12 week storage period by 5 weeks.
- Fruit examined after 24 weeks storage indicated that SmartFreshSM treated fruit were of better quality than untreated fruit, with a flesh firmness difference of 2.2 kg between the untreated control fruit and the highest SmartFreshSM SmartFreshSM treated fruit were generally of a better eating quality after the shelf life period.
- Forelle pears subjected to SmartFreshSM at two times the registered rate were generally firmer, exhibited a less advanced skin ground colour and had lower internal ethylene levels than SmartFreshSM applied at the registered rate and the untreated control, irrespective of storage period. SmartFreshSM applied at the lower rate also exhibited quality differences compared to the control fruit, however, the beneficial effect diminished over time.
For Final Report, please contact:
anita@hortgro.co.za