Fruit Maturity and Quality Jim Mattheis USDA, ARS Tree Fruit Research Laboratory, Wenatchee, WA
Apples $2,250 million Sweet Cherries $500 Leavenworth Pears $206 USDA, NASS 2012 Seattle Spokane Yakima Tri-cities Portland Hood River
Washington State Apple Production Granny Smith Fuji Red Delicious Gala 2012: 2.2 million tonnes 120 million 20 kg boxes 30+% exported Washington Apple Commission
Projected WA State Apple Volume GoodFruit Grower
Oregon-Washington State Pear Production d Anjou Bartlett (Williams) 2014: 418,561 tonnes 21 million 20 kg boxes 30+% exported
U.S. Apple Production millions Million of pounds (1 pound=0.453 kg) 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 U.S. Total Washington New York Michigan 0 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
Washington State apples: 50-75% stored bulk in controlled atmosphere (CA): 0.5-3% O 2, 0.5-2% CO 2 CA rooms 600-3000 bins
Topics Maturity definitions Ethylene Maturity and quality indicators Firmness Disorders
Apple Fruit Maturation Color change Starch, firmness loss Soluble solids, titratable acidity increase Aroma change Greasiness development Patterns characteristic for each variety, strain
Respiration heat oxygen + malic acid chemical energy carbon dioxide + water
Physiological Change During Apple Fruit Maturation and Ripening ethylene, CO 2 production ethylene production respiration rate maturation, ripening
Apple Fruit Maturity Physiological: will ripen after harvest Horticultural: appearance, marketability www.cascadel.org Starking Delicious Scarlet Spur II
Apple Fruit Maturity Physiological: will ripen after harvest Horticultural: appearance, marketability 100 % red color 90 80 70 60 Scarlet Spur II Starking 50 40 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 harvest
Apple Fruit Maturity Physiological: will ripen after harvest Horticultural: appearance, marketability 22 100 lbs 20 18 16 % red color 90 80 70 60 Scarlet Spur II Starking firmness 14 50 12 40 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 harvest
Apple Fruit Maturity Physiological: will ripen after harvest Horticultural: appearance, marketability 22 100 100 lbs 20 18 16 % red color 90 80 70 60 10 1 ul L -1 Scarlet Spur II Starking firmness ethylene 14 50 12 40 0.1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 harvest
Climacteric respiration and ethylene 100 Ethylene production 80 60 40 20 0 control 1-MCP ethylene 1-methylcyclopropene Delicious firmness Respiration rate 12 9 6 3 control 1-MCP lbs Days at 20 o C 0 20 40 60 Days at 20 68 o FC Fan et al., JASHS, 1999
Apple Fruit Maturation: Ethylene,Firmness,Starch 1000 Bisbee Delicious 100 10 ethylene ppm 1 0.1 0.01 year 1 2 3 4 0.001 22 20 lbs 18 16 14 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 starch
Assessing apple fruit maturity Bisbee Delicious Sep 7 13 20 27 Oct 4 11 18 25 31 ul L -1 starch ul L -1 Fuji 6 5 starch ethylene 4 3 2 1 harvest date harvest date 100 10 1 0.1 0.01 starch Aug 3 17 24 31 Sep 7 14 21 28 Oct 4 12 6 5 4 3 2 1 100 starch ethylene 10 1 0.1 0.01
Starch Polymers in Apple and Pear Fruit amylose amylopectin http://i.imgur.com/30tam.jpg
Amylose staining with I 2 -KI solution amylose amylose plus iodine http://beerandwinejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/amylosebwj-1024x643.jpg http://grade9chem.weebly.com/uploads/6/0/6/4/6064529/8365541_orig.jpg
Starch Hydrolysis
Soluble Solids and Starch during Gala Maturation 6 starch 12 starch rating 5 4 3 2 SSC 11 10 9 8 soluble solids content % 1 108 115 122 129 136 143 Harvest: Days after full bloom 7
Soluble Solids Content at Harvest and after Storage Gala Braeburn Fuji % 108 122 136 147 161 175 189 145 159 173 187 Harvest Days after Full Bloom Weeks in Storage 0 (at harvest) 6 12 18 24 Plotto et al., Fruit Var J, 1995
Honeycrisp Maturity: grouped by titratable acidity lots TA % starch (1-6) SSC % color (1-5) ethylene ppm A:1-5 B:6-10 C:11-15 0.522 0.451 0.400 5.1 5.5 5.6 13.7 13.1 12.7 3.5 3.5 3.2 5.7 2.9 7.5
Honeycrisp titratable acidity after storage 0.6 0.5 A B C % 0.4 0.3 0.2 0 5 10 15 20 25 weeks in air at 237 o C o F
Granny Smith Scald 100 6 months RA + 7 days ripening Incidence % 80 60 40 20 0 Ck 0 2 4 8 12 16 weeks 1-MCP delay
BramleySeedless external CO 2 injury % injured fruit Harvest Date Sept 12 Sept 26 Oct 10 CA 52 25 7 Fidler and North, 1961
Braeburn internal CO 2 injury Harvest date Starch Oct 4 11 18 25 1.5 2.1 2.8 3.8 % Injury air CA 0 0 3 0 3 8 8 31 0 o C, CA: 1.2 % O 2, 1.0 % CO 2 Lau, 1999
CO 2 injury First weeks after harvest pose highest risk for CO 2 damage Delaying CA or CO 2 accumulation can reduce injury
Fuji internal browning after 8 months % %CO 2 with Weeks CA delay Months CO 2 1.5% O 2 1.5% O 2 /3% CO 2 Delay (final 3%)
Fuji firmness after 8 months lbs %CO 2 with Weeks CA delay Months CO 2 1.5% O 2 1.5% O 2 /3% CO 2 Delay (final 3%)
Fuji firmness after 8 months 9 8 kgs 7 6 5 %CO 2 with Weeks CA delay Months CO 2 1.5% O 2 1.5% O 2 /3% CO 2 Delay (final 3%)
Golden Delicious peel injury 100 80 % 60 40 20 0 0.5 1 3 0.5 1 3 1-MCP control
Golden Delicious firmness kgs 1-MCP
% injury 60 50 40 30 20 10 Golden Delicious CO 2 injury control 1-MCP 0 0 1 3 5 weeks CA delay (1% O 2, 3% CO 2 )
Golden Delicious firmness 8 kgs 6 4 control 1-MCP 2 0 1 3 5 weeks CA delay (1% O 2, 3% CO 2 )
Summary Physiological and Horticultural Maturity Ethylene required for ripening Starch as a maturity index SSC, acidity, firmness as quality indicators Disorders incited close to harvest CA, 1-MCP management to reduce disorders
Acknowledgements Dave Buchanan Janie Countryman Luiz Argenta Xuetong Fan Anne Plotto
Physiological and Horticultural Maturity Ethylene required for ripening Starch as a maturity index SSC, acidity, firmness as quality indicators Disorders incited close to harvest Volatiles/aroma maturity dependent Greasiness: A sign of ripening
Firmness Penetrometers measure outer portion fruit
Firmness Change with Distance into Fruit force distance http://epa.oszk.hu/00000/00025/00003/gyumolcs.html
Firmness Softening can be non-uniform within fruit Firmness Texture
Fruit Firmness/Texture outer 0.32 0.32 to coreline Core boundary Crispness Visco-elasticity (creep) Quality Factor
Fruit Firmness/Texture M1=lbs M2=lbs Co=creep QF=quality factor P(lb) 0.3 0.5 0.8 QF: 94.9 1.0 1.3 1.5 1.8 2.0 2.3 T(s) C(in) 31.5 0.01 28.0 0.02 24.5 0.03 M1 M2 21.0 0.04 17.5 0.05 14.0 0.06 10.5 0.07 7.0 0.08 3.5 0.09 0.13 0.25 0.38 0.50 0.63 0.75 0.88 1.00 1.13 D(in)
Golden Delicious P(lb) 0.3 0.5 0.8 QF: 94.9 Harvest Sep 18 1.0 1.3 1.5 1.8 2.0 2.3 T(s) C(in) 31.5 0.01 28.0 0.02 24.5 0.03 M1=15.5 M2=25.2 21.0 0.04 17.5 0.05 14.0 0.06 10.5 0.07 7.0 0.08 3.5 0.09 P(lb) 0.3 0.5 0.8 QF: 55.9 Harvest Oct 26 1.0 1.3 1.5 1.8 2.0 2.3 T(s) C(in) 31.5 0.01 28.0 0.02 24.5 0.03 M1=15.5 M2=17.5 21.0 0.04 17.5 0.05 14.0 0.06 10.5 0.07 7.0 0.08 3.5 0.09 0.13 0.25 0.38 0.50 0.63 0.75 0.88 1.00 1.13 D(in) 0.13 0.25 0.38 0.50 0.63 0.75 0.88 1.00 1.13 D(in)
Golden Delicious P(lb) 0.3 0.5 Harvest Sep 13 0.8 QF: 88.7 1.0 1.3 1.5 1.8 2.0 2.3 T(s) C(in) 31.5 0.01 28.0 0.02 24.5 0.03 M1=15.8 M2=24.0 21.0 0.04 17.5 0.05 14.0 0.06 10.5 0.07 7.0 0.08 3.5 0.09 P(lb) 0.3 Harvest Sep 26 5 weeks @ 20 o C 0.5 0.8 QF: -59.7 1.0 1.3 1.5 1.8 2.0 2.3 T(s) C(in) 31.5 0.01 28.0 0.02 24.5 0.03 M1=15.8 21.0 0.04 17.5 0.05 M2=9.4 14.0 0.06 10.5 0.07 7.0 0.08 3.5 0.09 0.13 0.25 0.38 0.50 0.63 0.75 0.88 1.00 1.13 D(in) 0.13 0.25 0.38 0.50 0.63 0.75 0.88 1.00 1.13 D(in)
Gala: 2 months storage P(lb) 0.3 0.5 0.8 QF: 16.3 air 1.0 1.3 1.5 1.8 2.0 2.3 T(s) C(in) 31.5 0.01 28.0 0.02 24.5 0.03 M1=14.4 M2=16.4 21.0 0.04 17.5 0.05 14.0 0.06 10.5 0.07 7.0 0.08 3.5 0.09 P(lb) 0.3 0.5 0.8 QF: 78.0 CA 1.0 1.3 1.5 1.8 2.0 2.3 T(s) C(in) 31.5 0.01 28.0 0.02 24.5 0.03 M1=14.4 M2=22.2 21.0 0.04 17.5 0.05 14.0 0.06 10.5 0.07 7.0 0.08 3.5 0.09 0.13 0.25 0.38 0.50 0.63 0.75 0.88 1.00 1.13 D(in) 0.13 0.25 0.38 0.50 0.63 0.75 0.88 1.00 1.13 D(in)
Apple Fruit Volatiles >300, aldehydes, alcohols, esters cultivar specific harvest maturity ethylene regulated storage environment
Apple Fruit Volatiles Unripe: aldehydes -green, grassy Ripe: esters -fruity, sweet Ester production regulated by ethylene
Delicious Volatile Production nl kg -1 h -1 August September
Fuji CO 2 Injury
Fuji firmness: 8 months lbs O 2 /CO 2 weeks CA delay
Delicious Volatile Production ul L -1 nl kg -1 h -1 August September
18 Golden Delicious firmness lbs 16 14 12 control 1-MCP 10 0 1 3 5 weeks CA (1% O 2, 3% CO 2 ) delay
Fuji internal browning: 8 months visual rating O 2 /CO 2 weeks CA delay
Maturity, ester, and ethylene production 100 µg or µl L -1 10 1 0.1 Gala esters Gala ethylene Delicious esters Delicious ethylene 0.01 0.001 80 100 120 140 160 180 days after full bloom
Golden Delicious volatile production Song and Bangerth, PBT, 1995
Peel Greasiness Can be present on mature fruit (Gala, Honeycrisp) A sign of ripening Fruit resources used to produce Prompt management for storage
Fuji CO 2 and C 2 H 4 production CO 2 C 2 H 4