Spraying apple trees with 1-MCP before harvest to improve post-harvest fruit quality

Abstract

This study aims to determine the optimal parameters for the application of 1-MCP (Harvista 1.3 SC) before harvest, including starch iodine index, fruit coloration, pulp firmness, dry matter content, and titratable acidity. The optimal parameters for harvesting Gala apples were established based on the degree of

ripeness, starch iodine index, fruit coloration, pulp firmness, dry matter content, and titratable acidity. All determinations were carried out in laboratory conditions within the Food Technology Department. The results of this study demonstrated that spraying Gala apple trees with the ethylene inhibitor Harvista 1.3 SC at a starch iodine index of 2-4 and a fruit coloration level greater than 30% of the surface had beneficial effects on fruit quality parameters. Ethylene, a plant hormone, plays a key role in the ripening of climacteric fruits, and 1-MCP in Harvista 1.3 SC blocks

receptors, delaying the ripening process. The treatment delayed fruit ripening by 14 days, during which the fruits developed more intense coloration, covering more than 75% of the surface, and maintained a firmness of 7.8 kg/cm². The starch iodine index at the time of spraying and harvest was determined using the starch conversion chart for apples 1...10 (CTIFL), while the degree of fruit coloration was evaluated using the color code (CTIFL) for the Gala variety.