Vol. 114 (2001): Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society
Handling & Processing

Ethanol content of 'Murcott' tangerines harvested at different times and treated with coatings of different O2 permeability

Robert D. Hagenmaier
USDA
front cover of vol 114, 2001

Published 2001-12-01

Abstract

Severe stem-end rind breakdown (SERB) of 'Valencia' oranges [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb.] exported from Florida to Korea and Taiwan has been reported in recent years. The effects of clipping vs. pulling, coating application, storage temperature, and fruit size on SERB of 'Valencia' oranges were studied during the 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 seasons. These studies demonstrated that storage temperature is the most significant factor influencing SERB of 'Valencia' oranges. Three weeks after packing, fruit stored at 70°F (21 °C) with 70 ±3% relative humidity (RH) had 61% SERB, while fruit stored at 40°F (4°C) under the same RH had only 1.3% SERB. Coating application and formulation did not result in consistent effects on fruit SERB incidence. Fruit size and harvesting methods (pulling vs. clipping) did not significantly influence the incidence of fruit with SERB symptoms.