IMPROVEMENT OF HARVESTED STRAWBERRY QUALITY BY ILLUMINATION - COLOR AND BOTRYTIS INFECTION

Strawberry fruit, cvs. Dorit and Ofra were illuminated at 14.5 and 17. 5 Wm(-2), respectively, by white fluorescent light at 2 degrees C. A t wo-hour treatment was sufficient to overcome the genetic limitation of ''white shoulders'' (WS) in Dorit and the ''poor red colour'' (PRC) i n cv. Ofra. Illumination enhanced both external and internal fruit col our. The fruit-quality attributes, freshness of calyx, fruit firmness and fruit decay, were not impaired by light treatment after storage si mulating air or sea transport followed by shelf-life (18 degrees C). T he described treatment reduced fruit rot in both cultivars. In fruit i noculated with Botrytis cinerea, the appearance of disease symptoms wa s delayed.