Effect of 1-Methylcyclopropene Treatment on Ripening and Quality of European Plum (Prunus domestica L.)

doi:10.21608/ejoh.2015.1290

Effect of 1-Methylcyclopropene Treatment on Ripening and Quality of European Plum (Prunus domestica L.)

Document Type : Original Article

10.21608/ejoh.2015.1290

Abstract

ETHYLENE action inhibition by 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) extends postharvest life of many climacteric fruits. This work evaluates the effect of 1-MCP (0.625 ppm) treatment on the physiological behavior and quality during postharvest life of ‘Katinka’ and ‘Haganta’ European plum (Prunus domestica L.) in 2012 and 2013. 1-MCP treatment of the fruits reduced ethylene production more than 30 % and delayed the climacteric peak in ‘Haganta’ and ‘Katinka’. In addition, 1-MCP obviously reduced respiration rate for ‘Katinka’. 1-MCP delayed fruit ripening, as shown by lower soluble solids content (SSC) in treated fruits at the beginning of storage and by a significant higher SSC at the end of storage. Moreover, it significantly decreased weight loss and delayed fruit softening for the cultivars under study but no stable trend with titratable acidity (TA) was found. Based on the results 1-MCP may be a treatment for delaying ripening of European plum.

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