The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of impact injury and treatment with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on the quality of 'Royal Gala' apples in cold storage (CS) and controlled atmosphere condition (CA). The treatments were impact injury (with and without impact injury) combined with 1-MCP (0 and 625nL L-1). The fruits were stored for four months in CS (0°C ± 1ºC and 92 ± 2% RH) (experiment 1) and for eight months in CA (1.2 kPa O2 + 2.0 kPa CO2, 0°C ± 0.1ºC and 96 ± 2% RH) (experiment 2). In CS, fruits treated with 1-MCP showed higher flesh firmness, besides larger darkened area in the damaged place, at removal from storage. After CS followed by seven days at an ambient conditions, fruits treated with 1-MCP showed higher titratable acidity, skin darkening and smaller darkening depth of flesh in the place of the damage. In CA, 1-MCP application resulted, at removal from CA storage, fruits with lower levels of soluble solids content and higher skin darkening in the place of the damage, and, after seven days of shelf life, fruit showed greater depth of darkening of the pulp in the damaged place. The impact injury caused darkening of the pulp of apples 'Royal Gala'. 1-MCP did not inhibit the effects of impact injury, but preserved fruit quality, especially in CS.
ripening; ethylene; cold storage; controlled atmosphere
