Storage ability of non-astringent ‘Fuyu’ persimmon fruit is affected by various concentrations of 1-methylcyclopropene and/or modified atmosphere packaging

SummaryThe shelf-life of untreated (control) persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) fruit was compared with fruit treated with 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 µl l–1 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) for 16 h at room temperature (20ºC) and kept for 28 d after treatment (DAT), and with fruit treated with the same levels of 1-MCP, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), or 1.0 µl l–1 1-MCP plus MAP in cold storage at 0ºC for 90 DAT. Treatment with 1.0 or 2.0 µl l–1 1-MCP prevented the decrease in fruit firmness, the change in peel colour index (from yellow-orange to red), and the decreases in fruit diameter and fresh weight (FW) seen in untreated control fruit and in fruit treated with 0.5 µl l–1 1-MCP at room temperature for 16 h and left for 28 DAT. Rates of ethylene production and respiration were suppressed by all 1-MCP treatments at 3, 7, and 14 DAT at room temperature. Under cold storage conditions, fruit firmness was higher in fruit treated with 2.0 µl l–1 1-MCP, or with 1.0 µl l–1 1-MCP plus MAP, than in untreated control fruit, or in fruit treated with MAP alone, 0.5 µl l–1 1-MCP alone, or 1.0 µl l–1 1-MCP alone for 90 d at 0ºC. Persimmon fruit treated with 1.0 µl l–1 1-MCP plus MAP maintained the highest diameter and FW after cold storage for 90 d.