Controlled atmosphere influence on a storability of apple fruits of a belarusian assortment at long-term storage

Abstract

In 2011-2013 the impact of the controlled atmosphere of two compositions (3 % of the oxygen and 5 % of a carbonic gas and 1 % of the oxygen and 2 % of a carbonic gas) on fruits storability indices of 12 apple cultivars such as «Alesya», «Antej», «Byelorusskoye sladkoye», «Vesyalina», «Verbnaye», «Darunak», «Zaslavskoye», «Imant», «Pamyat» Kovalenko», «Pospekh», «Nadzejny» and «Tellisaare» at long-term storage has been studied. It has been established, that the controlled atmosphere reduces losses from natural weight loss of apple fruits at long-term storage by 2-3 times in comparison with a regular atmosphere. It also considerably diminishes losses of fruits from physiological distresses at cultivars predisposed to them as well as it completely limits wilt diseases of fruits. Optimum alternatives of gas atmospheres for apples storage of some cultivars have been established. Fruits of the cultivars «Alesya», «Antej», «Byelorusskoye sladkoye», «Vesyalina», «Verbnaye», «Darunak», «Imant», «Nadzejny» and «Tellisaare» have the best keeping ability in the controlled atmosphere with 3 % of the oxygen and 5 % of a carbonic gas and fruits of the cultivar «Zaslavskoye» – in the atmosphere with the ultralow content of the oxygen (1 % of the oxygen and 2 % of a carbonic gas). Suitability of the cultivar «Pospekh» to the controlled atmosphere storage is limited by big fruits losses because of damages by a carbonic gas while the cultivar «Pamyat» Kovalenko» because of fungal infections.