Abstract
During storage ‘Fuji’ apples are affected by internal breakdown, and some peculiar types of browning disorder tentatively named “coreline browning” and “inner-core browning”. The relationship between watercore and the occurrence of these disorders and the effect of calcium sprays was investigated.
Internal breakdown was classified as type I (assumed to be watercore breakdown) and type II (assumed to be Jonathan breakdown). The incidence of type I breakdown increased with watercore intensity at harvest. Type II breakdown appeared only in apples with watercore indices 4 and 5 (severe to very severe watercore). In two out of three seasons, the incidence of coreline browning tended to increase with increasing intensity of watercore. Watercore of ‘Fuji’ remained longer in the coreline region; this may be the reason why this peculiar type of disorder appeared in ‘Fuji’.
The incidence of inner-core browning was not related to watercore intensity. However, some relation between the occurrence of this disorder and watercore was suspected, because the inner-core region around the endocarp in which the disorder appears is the last part which is affected by watercore during storage.
Calcium spraying caused an increase in coreline browning and in scald.
