Packaging Container Effects on Fruit Quality Attributes, Mechanical Injury and Physiological Disorders in Hardy Kiwifruit Cultivars under a Simulated Handling System

Fruit of hardy kiwifruit is highly susceptible to physiological disorders and mechanical damage during handling and transport when packed in conventional clamshell containers.Thus, this study assessed the impact of different packaging containers on fruit quality attributes, mechanical injuries, and physiological disorders of 'Autumn Sense' and 'Daebo' hardy kiwifruit cultivars stored at 22C for 7 d of shelf life and 3 d of shelf life after 7 d of cold storage at 10C.During the shelf life, fruit weight loss was highest in the pressed pulp egg tray but lowest in the 10-cavity container for both cultivars.The soluble solids content (SSC) increased, whereas the flesh firmness and titratable acidity (TA) decreased.Thus, the SSC/TA ratio increased, irrespective of the packaging container and cultivar.Ethylene production was highest in the clamshell container but lowest in the 10-cavity container in the 'Autumn Sense' cultivar.Fruit peel color variables were lowest in the clamshell container for the 'Autumn Sense' cultivar but were inconsistent in the 'Daebo' cultivar.Fruit bruising, wounding, and softening were highest in clamshell containers for both cultivars, whereas fruit shriveling was highest in the pressed pulp egg tray.Fruit spoilage was highest in the clamshell container for both cultivars.After 3 d of shelf life following cold storage, fruit weight loss remained the highest in the pressed pulp egg tray and the lowest in the 10-cavity container in both cultivars.Although the firmness and TA declined sharply, the SSC increased substantially, resulting in a higher SSC/TA ratio.The SSC/TA ratio was higher in the 'Autumn Sense' cultivar than in the 'Daebo' cultivar, regardless of the packaging container.The ethylene level was negligible in the 'Daebo' cultivar and highest in the pressed pulp egg tray but lowest in the 10-cavity container in the 'Autumn Sense' cultivar.Fruit bruising, wounding, and softening were most prevalent in the clamshell and pressed pulp containers for both cultivars.Fruit shriveling, peel browning, and overall fruit spoilage were highest in the pressed pulp egg tray for the 'Autumn Sense' cultivar and the pressed pulp container for the 'Daebo' cultivar.Therefore, the results indicate that a 10-cavity container could be more suitable for the packaging and handling of hardy kiwifruit.