Development and Prevention of Chilling Injury in Papaya Fruit

Papaya ( Carica papaya L.), a climacteric fruit, became progressively less susceptible to chilling injury as it ripened. Symptoms of chilling injury included skin scald, hard areas in the pulp around the vascular bundles, and water soaking of tissue. Mature green fruit were most sensitive to chilling and began showing injury after 10 days of storage at 2°C. Chilling injury symptoms began to occur after 20 days at 7.5°. Fruit that showed 60% yellowing could be kept at 2° for 17 days without developing injury. Preconditioning papaya fruit for 4 days at 12.5° before storage for 12 or 14 days at 20° reduced chilling sensitivity. The decrease in chilling sensitivity with preconditioning was associated with partial fruit ripening. Waxing and wrapping papaya with polyethylene reduced chilling injury, but the fruit had an off-flavor. Controlled atmospheres of low oxygen (1.5% to 5%) with or without high C 02 (2% or 10%) delayed ripening, but did not reduce chilling injury symptom development. Calcium treatment led to increased chilling injury of papaya fruit. Delaying storage until the fruit ripened decreased chilling susceptibility and increased storage life at chilling temperatures. Shipping 60% yellow fruit at 2° could provide a procedure for achieving fruit fly disinfestation. Differences in cultivar response to chilling injury were noted.