Postharvest treatments to reduce the harmful effects of ethylene on apricots

'Patterson' and 'Castlebrite' apricots were dipped for 1 min in aqueous solutions at 20degreesC containing 0, 6.25, 12.5, 25, or 50 ppm aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) and held at 20degreesC for a 5-day ripening period. Fruit softening was delayed and ethylene production was reduced on AVG-treated fruit, particularly in the case of 'Patterson' apricots, which produced more ethylene than 'Castlebrite' during ripening. Postharvest treatments with 1 ppm gaseous 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) at 0degreesC for 24 h delayed softening of unripened 'Patterson' apricots during subsequent storage at 5degreesC for 14 days. Exposure to exogenous ethylene during cold storage antagonized the effect of 1-MCP treatment on fruit firmness. Flesh firmness was significantly higher on 'Patterson', but not 'Castlebrite', apricots stored at 5degreesC for 14 days with three 9-g potassium permanganate sachets per box than on apricots packed with none or one sachet per box. Neither 1-MCP treatment, ethylene exposure, nor packaging with sachets affected brown rot development during cold storage on apricots wound-inoculated with Monilinia fructicola. None of these postharvest treatments influenced apricot soluble solids concentration (SSC) or titratable acidity (TA).