STORAGE QUALITY OF APPLES FOLLOWING NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL TUFTED APPLE BUD MOTH FEEDING INJURY

'Golden Delicious', 'Delicious', and 'York Imperial' apples (Malus x d omestica Borkh.) with various amounts of tuft ed apple bud moth (TABM) [Platynota idaeusalis (Walker)] feeding injury were evaluated for qua lity at harvest and following storage in air and controlled atmosphere . In addition, apples were artificially injured during two seasons to mimic TABM feeding injury. There was little or no effect of natural TA BM injury on the quality of apples in many experiments. At harvest, fi rmness was not influenced by natural TABM injury, soluble solids conce ntration (SSC) was increased in three of 11 experiments, and starch Be vels decreased in two of 11 experiments. These results indicate a slig ht advancement of maturity of injured fruit. More severely injured fru it tended go have more decay after storage than fruit with less injury . Some injury, especially first brood injury, up to approximate to 7 t o 10 mm(2) surface damage, can be tolerated without compromising stora ge quality of processing apples. However, severe injury (>79 mm(2)) ca n Increase decay. Second brood injury, whether caused by natural feedi ng of TABM or through artificial means, usually caused a higher incide nce of decay than first brood injury. Artificial injury imposed close to harvest led to more decay in storage than did similar injury impose d earlier.