This study was conducted for three years (2007, 2009, and 2010) to investigate the changes in fruit quality during maturation, and the quality and storage ability of fruits harvested at different times of ‘Fuji’ apple in Daegu region with a high air temperature during the fall season. Changes in apple fruit quality during the maturation period were investigated from 120-135 days to 183-198 days after full bloom. In comparing quality and storage ability of fruits harvested at different times, fruits harvested more than 180 days after full bloom were used. During the maturation period, poor coloring was the problem for ‘Fuji’ apple in Daegu region by the high air temperature about 20℃. In comparing quality of fruits harvested at different times, the soluble solid contents and hunter a value were increased by the extended harvest time. Fruit weight during harvest was not affected by different harvest time, while the fruit firmness and titratable acidity during harvest were decreased critically when the freezing damage happened. Ethylene production, fruit firmness, and titratable acidity during cold storage for twenty weeks did not differ according to the different harvest time. Soluble solid contents of fruits harvested at 216 days after full bloom in 2009 were similar at the time of harvest and cold storage. For fruits harvested at 201 days after full bloom, soluble solid content during cold storage was higher than during harvest time. However fruit firmness, soluble solid content, and titratable acidity after cold storage of fruit harvested after freezing damage was lower than those of the fruit harvested before freezing damage. The results show that the extended harvest time of ‘Fuji’ apples about 2-4 weeks from 180-200 days after full bloom in area with above-air temperature during fall season was seemed to be beneficial to enhancing soluble solid contents and fruit red color, but harvesting after the middle of November was dangerous because minimum air temperature began to fall under -3.0℃.
This study was carried out to investigate the effects of aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) application and heat treatment on fruit quality of ‘Fuji’ apples during CA storage. AVG (75 mgㆍL -1 ) was applied to Fuji tree at 150 and 175 days after full bloom (DAFB) and the fruit were harvested at 185, 195, and 205 DAFB, respectively. Respiration rate and ethylene production of fruit applied with AVG were greatly reduced more than those in control. Flesh firmness and acidity of fruit applied with AVG were higher than those in control. Flesh browning occurred in all of the control fruit regardless of harvest date. However, AVG-treated fruits were free of flesh browning except for late harvested fruits. At 185 DAFB, ‘Fuji’ apples were harvested and prestorage heat treatment was done for 3 days at 38℃ and 6 hours at 46℃. Heat treatment at 38℃ and 46℃ prior to CA storage greatly reduced respiration rate and ethylene production. The incidence of flesh browning were 35%, 14%, and 5%, in control fruit, heating at 38℃ and 46℃, respectively. The titratable acidity was lower at heated apple than at controlled one.