The effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment within the MA package with a lower 1-MCP permeability than low-density polyethylene on apple (Malus pumila Mill.) quality was investigated. Two or three apples packed in the MA package with 1-MCP at an initial concentration of 1 or 2 ppm were stored for 4 weeks at 20℃ for 'Jonagold', for 8 weeks at 20℃ for 'Orin' and for 31 weeks at 2℃ for 'Fuji'. The efficacy of 1-MCP treatment within the package was almost equivalent to that of the 1-MCP treatment in a gas-tight container for 'Jonagold' and 'Orin'; however, such a treatment was less effective than the treatment in a gas-tight container for 'Fuji'. The treatment within a package suppressed the ethylene production and respiration of the apples for all cultivars. Both ethylene production and respiration rate, however, began to rise within 4 weeks for 'Orin'. The decreases in oxygen concentration in the package were considered insufficient for improving apple quality during storage whether or not 1-MCP was enclosed in the package. In future studies, it is necessary to clarify the gas permeability of packaging films suited for 1-MCP-treated fruit and the effective period of 1-MCP treatment for the practical use of such a treatment in combination with MA packaging.
