INFLUENCE OF CA AND ULO STORAGE-CONDITION S ON QUALITY PARAMETERS ANDRIPENING OF PRECLIMACTERIC AND CLIMACTERIC HARVESTED APPLE FRUITS .1.EFFECT ON COLOR, FIRMNESS, ACIDITY, AND SOLUBLES SOLIDS

The effect of ultra low oxygen (ULO) and low and high ethylene storage on the ripening and quality characteristics of preclimacteric and cli macteric harvested 'Golden Delicious' apples were evaluated during thr ee storage seasons. ULO condition in combination with higher CO2 (3% C O2+1% O-2) was the most efficient of all tested storage conditions in retaining flesh firmness, solubles solids, acidity, and green skin col our. Especially, in preclimacteric harvested fruits firmness decrease was inhibited during 10 days of shelflife at 20 degrees C.Among the ev aluated ripening and quality parameters flesh firmness was influenced by ethylene in the storage atmosphere. Removal of ethylene (< 0.1 ppm) reduced the loss of firmness sligthly whereas high ethylene concentra tions (5000 ppm) increased it. ULO conditions combined with a high CO2 concentration (3% CO2+1% O-2) were more efficient in preserving the q uality of apples than conventional CA storage (3% CO2+3% O-2) with eth ylene removal.