The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of temperature and storage atmospheres on the quality of 'Laetitia' plums. The treatments were obtained from the combination of two temperatures (-0.5ºC and 0.5ºC) with three storage atmospheres: cold storage (CS), with 21.0 kPa of O2 + 0.03kPa of CO2, and controlled atmospheres storage (CA), with 1.0 kPa de O2 + 3.0 kPa of CO2 and 2.0 kPa of O2 + 5.0 kPa of CO2. After 60 days of storage, the fruit were assessed in terms of respiration and ethylene production rates, titratable acidity (TA), flesh firmness, texture attributes, red color index (RCI) and hue angle (hº) of the skin, and incidence of fruit cracking, decay and flesh browning. Under cold storage, fruit stored at -0.5ºC showed lower values of RCI, respiration and ethylene production rates, and incidence of fruit cracking. Under both CA conditions, fruit stored at 0.5ºC showed lower RCI, greener skin color, higher flesh firmness, and lower ethylene production rate, assessed at removal from cold storage as well as after four days at ambient temperature. The CA conditions delayed fruits ripening and reduced the incidence of flesh browning. Fruit stored under CA, with 2.0 kPa of O2 + 5.0 kPa of CO2, at 0.5ºC, exhibit the lowest respiration rates and incidence of decay assessed at removal from storage, but highest TA and pulp penetration force assessed after shelf life. However, the storage of 'Laetitia' plums for 60 days, under the CA conditions investigated, did not reduce the incidence of flesh browning.
Prunus salicina; postharvest; storage; flesh browning
