FRUIT MATURITY, CARBOHYDRATE AND MINERAL-CONTENT RELATIONSHIPS WITH WATERCORE IN FUJI APPLES

Relationships of watercore severity with physiological and biochemical factors in 'Fuji' apples were examined in fruit harvested weekly on n ine occasions during maturation and ripening. Statistical analysis was done using harvest date as a covariate to remove the effect of maturi ty. Higher watercore severities were associated with higher internal e thylene concentrations, soluble solids and dry matter, increased sorbi tol and sucrose concentrations and decreased glucose and fructose conc entrations. Flesh firmness, starch and calcium concentration decreased with slight watercore incidence but increased with moderate to severe watercore. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.