Modified atmosphere packaging and 1-methylcyclopropene usage in sweet cherry 'Sweetheart' storage

Abstract

Sweet cherries are becoming more and more popular among growers in Serbia. In addition to domestic market they are being exported to Russia and to the EU. Fruit quality is generally good, but postharvest practices do not respect cold chain and packaging that would reduce losses that occur during transport. In this paper, we investigated the storage ability of sweet cherry cultivar 'Sweetheart'. Cherries were stored using a modified atmosphere packaging bags (MAP) for 30 days while 1- methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) was applied either alone or in combination with MAP. Fruits were stored at 1°C. After shelf life period, fruits were sorted into three groups: healthy, bruised and decayed. Further analyses were carried out on healthy fruits and included fruit firmness, soluble solids and total acid content. Also, visual quality of fruits and peduncle was observed. The results showed that the MAP substantially improved the storage of sweet cherry. The percentage of healthy fruits was higher, fruits looked fresher, and there was less water loss, whereas total acid content was higher. Influence of 1-MCP on sweet cherry storage was not significant, with only exception regarding peduncle freshness. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the only successful way to store cherries is the usage of MAP.