Introduction. Postharvest physiology and ripening in passion fruit are not well documented, which is an impediment in designing handling and storage regimes. Materials and methods. Passion fruits harvested at four different maturity stages were studied for postharvest ripening behaviour and to determine the correct stage of harvesting. Results and discussion. The respiratory climacteric peak was attained in all stages irrespective of harvest maturity, while the ethylene evolution rate increased by almost 8.15 times the initial value to peak levels of 505.35 µL C2H4·kg–1·h–1 in fruits harvested at the 50% colour turning stage. Changes in Hunter L*a*b* values indicated development of optimum colour only in fruits harvested after 50% colour turning. Fruit quality attributes were also better in fruits harvested after half (50%) colour turning than fruits harvested earlier. Conclusion. Passion fruit should be harvested only after 50% of fruit surface colour has developed, so as to allow for optimum postharvest storage, proper ripening, and development of characteristic flavour and fruit quality attributes.

Introduction. The objectiveof this study was to examine the relationships among the ripeningattributes of ‘Honeycrisp’ apples at harvest and after storage,and the direct and indirect contributions of these attributes topeel greasiness and the incidence of soft scald and soggy breakdownduring storage using correlation and path-coefficient analyses. Materialsand methods. Fruit were harvested from a commercial orchardat least five times throughout the commercial harvest period during foursubsequent years (2008 to 2011). In two of the years, fruit werestored in air for 3 months at 3 °C and/or in a controlled atmosphere(1–2 kPa O2 + 1–2 kPa CO2) for 6 months at 3 °C. Fruit were analyzedat harvest and after storage. Results and discussion.Negative correlations were detected between internal ethylene concentration(IEC) and soluble solids concentration (SSC) or titratable acidity(TA) (the higher the IEC, the lower the SSC and TA) and a positivecorrelation between firmness and TA (the higher the firmness, thehigher the TA). More peel greasiness and higher incidence of soggybreakdown during storage were associated with lower firmness, SSCand TA. Negative correlations were also detected between the incidence ofsoft scald and IEC or peel greasiness. The results of the path-coefficientanalyses suggest that, in ‘Honeycrisp’, interrelationships amongpostharvest ripening indices and each individual disorder differ. Threepossible path models for the interrelationships among ripening attributes (independent variables)and the incidence of peel greasiness, soft scald and soggy breakdown(dependent variables) are presented.

Introduction. Brazil is a majorproducer of mangoes, but the export volume is still small becauseof the short shelf life of this fruit. The objectives of our workwere to evaluate the effect of modifying the storage atmosphereusing plastic film and temperature, according to different periodsof storage, on the characteristics of Espada mango grown organically. Material and methods. Seven treatments were appliedto the fruits after their harvest: fruits stored at room temperature;at 12 °C / 80–90% relative humidity (RH); washed and stored at roomtemperature; washed and stored at 12 °C / 80–90% RH; washed, packedin PVC and stored at room temperature; washed, packaged in PVC andstored at 12 °C / 80–90% RH; and fruits harvested on the same dayof evaluations, at (5, 9, 13, 16 and 21) days of storage. Resultsand discussion. Storage at 12 °C and 80–90% RH was more efficientin delaying fruit ripening, with minor evolution of peel and pulpcolor and soluble solids contents; this treatment also delayed thedevelopment of anthracnose. Fruits packed in PVC and stored at roomtemperature kept the peel and pulp color for 13 days, compared with9 days for non-packaged fruits. The ideal time to harvest the Espadavariety occurs at 165 days after the onset of flowering, with an indexof “3” for skin color (equal amounts of green and yellow) and pulp color(yellow pulp), and soluble solids of 8.5 °Brix. The low severityof anthracnose found at different evaluation times indicates theprobable tolerance of the Espada variety to the pathogen.

Introduction. Bananas are harvestedat the green preclimacteric stage prior to sale. The time betweenharvest and the initiation of the natural ripening process is calledgreen life. Black Leaf Streak Disease and Sigatoka Disease are themain foliar diseases affecting banana production. Sigatoka Disease (SD)is due to Mycosphaerella musicola, which frequently causesearly ripening in commercial banana plantations, considered as animportant source of damage. Our work aimed at determining the effectivenessof the removal of necrotic leaves, one month before harvest, onrecovering banana quality arising from SD-infested plants. Materialsand methods. Banana plants (totaling 80) at the floweringstage were selected in an experimental plot. These plants were dividedinto two groups of SD infestation levels: level 1 (Severity Indexat flowering < 10%) and level 2 (Severity Index at flowering > 25%).We divided each group into two treatments: a treatment with no necroticleaf removal and a treatment with necrotic leaf removal. Fruitswere harvested at the same physiological age, at 900 degree-days. Fruitquality was characterized by weight, diameter, % of ripe fruit inthe field and fruit green life. Results. Our resultsshowed that the removal of necrotic leaves causes a reduction insize parameters but leads to a strong reduction in SD effects onthe fruit maturity, thereby preventing premature ripening. Bananaplants whose necrotic leaves were removed produced fruit with a verylong green life. Discussion. Removal of necrotic leaves allowsthwarting the negative effect of SD on fruit physiology. This showsthat the presence of necrosis during the last month of fruit growth isresponsible for this fruit physiological modification characterizedby early ripening. Conclusion. Removal of necroticleaves one month before the date of harvest may be a technique thatcan limit production losses when the infestation level by SD ishigh.

Introduction. Kiwifruit is a typical climacteric fruit, which grows profitably well in sub-temperate climatic conditions. The major problem with kiwifruit is that it does not ripen for about a week at room temperature but after this period there is a sudden rise in the respiration rate and fruits remain in edible condition for only a few days, giving it a very short shelf life in ambient conditions. Materials and methods. Kiwifruits were treated with different concentrations of spermine [(0.5, 1.0 and 1.5) mM] and spermidine [(1.0, 1.5 and 2.0) mM] by the immersion method; biochemical and physiological analyses were carried out, then fruit were stored in ambient conditions for 15 days. Results and discussion. Polyamine-treated fruits did not show any amount of ethylene evolution up to the 6th day of storage as compared with those of control, in which it started after the 3rd day of storage. The respiration rate was also the lowest in treated fruit. Similarly, polygalacturonase and lipoxygenase activities rose rapidly in control fruits in comparison with polyamine-treated fruits. Conclusion. The doses of spermine at 1.5 mM and spermidine at 2.0 mM showed the best results in extending the shelf life of kiwifruits when stored in ambient conditions [(22 ± 4) ◦C, RH: (65 ± 5)%].