Effects of 1-methylcyclopropene treatment on quality and storage of Granny Smith apple variety

This research has been carried out in University of Çukurova, Department of Horticulture, Postharvest Physiology laboratory and cold storage rooms during 2010 and 2011. The effects of different concentrations (250, 500 and 750 ppb) of 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatments were determined during storage of Granny Smith apples.Apples were harvested at commercial maturation stage and following 24 hour 1-MCP application apples were stored at 0ºC and 85-90% relative humidity conditions for this research. The fruits that were not treated with 1-MCP were used as control. The quality analyses were done monthly; respiration rate, internal ethylene production, fruit pulp firmness, fruit skin color, total soluble solids, starch test, titratable acidity, pH, and weight loss were evaluated during the storage period.Results of this study showed that different 1-MCP treatments protect the firmness, titratable acidity; weight loss, respiration and internal ethylene production; protect the superfical scald and corruption which caused physiologically better than control treatments. At the same time, it is confirmed that 500 ppb 1-MCP treatments became the best dos for the storage of Granny Smith apples.