Respiration, ethylene production and quality of 'Gala' apples in function to impact injury and treatment with 1-methylcyclopropene

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of the impact injury and treatment with 1-methylcyclopropene on respiration and ethylene production rates and on quality of 'Gala' apples after the storage in controlled atmosphere. The treatments evaluated were: T,: control, T,: mechanical injury; T,: 1-methylcyclopropene; T,: mechanical injury + 1-methylcyclopropene; and T-5: 1-methylcyclopropene + mechanical injury. Fruits were then left at ambient conditions (20 +/- 2 degrees C/65 +/- 5% RH). Fruits submitted to mechanical injury, without the treatment with 1-methylcyclopropene, showed the highest increment of ethylene production. The mechanical injury did not increase the respiratory rate and had small effect on fruit ripening, compared to the control treatment, but increased rot incidence. The 1-methylcyclopropene reduced the metabolism and the loss of fruit quality. In fruits submitted to mechanical injury, the application 1-methylcyclopropene reduced rot incidence.