Extending the marketing period of Gala apples, Phase 2: Orchard and storage management practices to optimise

Phase 1 of this project is on-going and will be complete at the end of July 2014. By the end of Phase 1, analytical methods for identifying good eating quality will be established by comparing taste panel analysis with fruit volatile production profiles, fruit acids and sugars and texture. In addition, comparison of fruit from six orchards harvested at 60% and 80 % starch content and stored at two storage temperatures (0.5-1.0°C, 1.5-2.0°C) under 5% CO2, 1%O2 or 1.2% O2, <1% CO2 with and without SmartFreshTM treatment will provide initial data to identify best practice for Gala storage using existing CA regimes. Additional, industry support from Fruition, Norman Colletts, Chingfords, Mansfields and Son, A.C. Goathams and Son helped to fund the work during phase 1 and made available orchard for sampling. Moreover, a parallel project funded by Agrofresh, investigated alternative CA regimes on Gala flavour retention on SmartFreshTM-treated fruit
The results from Phase 1 of the project will provide information to help to identify the harvest maturity and storage regimes that can maintain the eating quality of Gala for longer, and furthermore, will provide initial information on the impact of orchard history on fruit quality.

During Phase 2 optimising harvest maturity and storage temperatures on selected CA regimes that have the greatest potential to maintain eating quality will be assessed for a second season. The impact of harvest maturity and dry matter content will be examined in particular, and improved methods to determine maturity (Chlorophyll fluorescence and NIR) will be investigated.