Abstract

The potential effect of preharvest environmental variation on the postharvest behaviour of apples (Malus domestica Borkh.) was assessed for ‘Cripps Pink’ variety apples grown in four different agroclimatic locations along the irrigated valley of Central Chile (Llancanao, Malloa, El Radal and El Parrón). The flesh firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), skin colour, internal ethylene concentration (IEC), internal browning (IB) and index of absorbance difference (IAD) were assessed in apples that had been stored at 0.5 and 2°C for 4 and 6 months and correlated with environmental parameters prior to harvest (February). There was notable variation in the IAD, percentage of red-coloured skin, TSS, firmness and IEC among the orchards at both storage temperatures, and both radial and diffuse IB were identified. Further analysis showed that the preharvest environmental conditions were correlated with the evaluated parameters, with five significant correlations (P < 0.05) being found and 63 of the 120 correlations examined having r values above 0.5. These findings indicate that preharvest environmental conditions affected fruit parameters during storage, which has implications under climate change. © 2022 The Royal Society of New Zealand.