Comparison of alternative postharvest quarantine treatments for sweet cherries

The effects of controlled atmosphere heat treatments (CATTS) and irradiatio n on sweet cherry fruit quality were compared to fumigation with methyl bro mide. 'Bing' and 'Rainier' sweet cherry varieties were tested from the Yaki ma and Wenatchee, WA growing areas. Irradiated cherries had overall quality better than methyl bromide-treated cherries. CATTS-treated 'Rainier' cherr ies, but not 'Bing', had more pitting and bruising after 14 days of storage than Fruit From other treatments. Both cultivars treated with methyl bromi de had poorer stem quality than controls. CATTS-treated 'Bing' fruits had p oorer stem quality after 7 and 14 days of storage than the controls. This r esearch demonstrated that both irradiation and CATTS have potential for alt ernative quarantine treatments for sweet cherries. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scienc e B.V. All rights reserved.