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Mineral composition of apples. VII .—The relationship between fruit composition and some storage disorders
Author(s) -
Perring M. A.
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740190404
Subject(s) - composition (language) , chemistry , orange (colour) , horticulture , chemical composition , food science , botany , biology , philosophy , linguistics , organic chemistry
There is evidence that the incidence of each of three storage disorders of Cox's Orange Pippin apples (senescent breakdown, low‐temperature breakdown and bitter pit) is affected by the mineral composition of the fruit. These effects have been studied by comparing initial average compositions of bulk samples with the storage behaviour of bulk replicates and by experiments with individual apples in which apples were analysed after their storage record was known. It is suggested that if the Ca level in an apple is less than 3 mg/100 g fresh weight it will be liable to senescent breakdown at an early stage of storage. A P concentration of less than 8 mg/100 g may have the same result even if the Ca level is high. Low‐temperature breakdown is less likely in apples with high levels of K, P and Mg than in apples with low levels of these elements. The results confirm that low average Ca concentration is associated with bitter pit. It is suggested that if the average Ca concentration exceeds 5 mg/100 g fresh weight the sample will probably be free from this disorder. The relationship between Ca and bitter pit in apples stored individually was not clearly defined.