S23 - Session P7 - Fruit quality and surface pitting resistant of sweet cherry genotypes stored in modified atmosphere

Authors: Pavol Suran *, Terezie Vojtova

As sweet cherries is a produce that is traded around the world, the storage of fruit is an integral part of the market chain. Sweet cherries are susceptible to mechanical damage due to pressure that can occurred during harvesting, sorting or packaging. The affected fruit have a surface pitting disorder after several days of storage in a refrigerated warehouse which shortens the shelf life. The selection of resistant genotypes is important as for growers and breeders as well. Evaluation of genotype resistance was performed at Research and Breeding Institute of Pomology Holovousy Ltd. in the Czech Republic. Selected genotypes were: 'HL 10100', 'HL 10157', 'HL 10072', 'HL 13577', 'Sweetheart' and 'Van'. The assessment of fruit size, firmness and soluble solid content was carried out on fruit after harvest as well as after 21 days of storage in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) in Xtend® bags (type Cherry 5 kg, Stepac, Israel) at 1.5 ° C. Bags decrease oxygen content, increase carbon dioxide content, and increase relative humidity up to 90-95 %. Induced damage of 0.5 N was done on fruit before storage. After storage, the resistance of genotypes to surface pitting expressed by fruit damage index was evaluated. At the same time, the influence of maturity degree on the occurrence of the disorder was assessment. Therefore, the fruit was harvested in the harvest maturity and 2 days before the harvest maturity. Fruit harvested before harvest maturity was more resistant than fully ripe fruit. Difference in resistance to disorder was seen between genotypes. The genotypes 'HL 13577', 'HL 10072' presented 54 % and 49.5 % of no damaged fruit at the first harvest date, respectively. The varieties 'Sweetheart' and 'Van' had 19.3 % and 28.1 % of fruit presented no damage, respectively. Resistant genotypes to surface pitting disorder will be used to breed new resistant varieties of sweet cherries.