EFFECT OF INTERMITTENT WARMING AND MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE PACKAGING ON FUNGAL GROWTH IN PEACHES

Firm-breaker peaches (Prunus persica cv. Paraguayo), treated with 0.25 g.liter(-1) iprodione, were inoculated with 10(6) spores per mi of Al ternaria tenuis and stored for up to 3 weeks at 0.5 degrees C. Three i ntermittent warming (IW) cycles of 1 day at 20 degrees C every 6 days at 0.5 degrees C and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) were applied. Fungicide treatment was ineffective in controlling growth of A. tenui s and Cladosporium spp. during storage. MAP prevented the growth of bo th fungal genera. IW alone or combined with fungicide seemed to increa se total CFU counts and did not control decay (mainly due to exacerbat ed Cladosporium spp. development). CFU counts and losses through funga l attack were only occasionally significantly correlated.