Reduction of brown heart in pears by absorption of ethylene from the storage atmosphere

Abstract

Compounds that absorb ethylene, carbon dioxide and water were packed with Williams' Bon Chretien (Bartlet) pears held in sealed polyethylene bags. The effects of these compounds on the physiological disorder brown heart are reported. After storage at 1¦C for 18 weeks, fruit stored in air or in bags with a carbon dioxide absorbent (calcium hydroxide) were in poor condition externally but were free of brown heart. All other fruit were stored in the presence of about 5 per cent carbon dioxide and were externally in excellent condition but were affected by brown heart. The use of an ethylene absorbent (potassium permanganate) reduced the mean level of ethylene from 395 ¦l/l to 1.5 ¦l/l and reduced brown heart from 68 per cent to 36 per cent (P < 0.01). The presence of calcium chloride tended (P < 0.10) to increase brown heart. The storage treatments also affected the level of six other organic volatiles in the fruit.