TThe main internal quality defects receiving research attention are heat damage in plums and lenticel breakdown, superficial scald and internal browning in apples and pears. Research is aimed at understanding the underlying causative factors (both pre-and postharvest) and biochemistry of these defects to allow the development of technology to limit or prevent their occurrence. Other aims are to generate best practice guidelines for handling fruit both pre-and postharvest and to develop indicators to predict the risk of various defects in each season.
Dr Elke Crouch and team completed a multi-disciplinary superficial scald project. The results clearly identified treatment protocol that would very effectively control superficial scald in Granny Smith apples under long-duration storage. The researchers developed a model that can predict the risk of developing superficial scald in Granny Smith fruit stored short-term in regular atmosphere. The model will be further refined in a new project that will commence in 2024.
Expertise: Physiological Defects Workgroup
Research team
- Dr Mariana Jooste
- Dr Elke Crouch
- Dr Ian Crouch
- Dr Ashwil Klein
- Ms Anél Botes
- Mr Daniël Viljoen
- Mr Alone Hlungwani – PhD student
- Ms Monja Gerber – PhD student
- Dr Thirupathi Pandian - Postdoctoral research fellow
Projects list
POME FRUIT PROJECTS
- No new projects.
- Influence of fruit micro-structure on gas exchange and tissue damage (E Crouch)
- Compilation of a photographic compendium of stone fruit disorders in a South African context (I Crouch)
- Superficial scald on Granny Smith - understanding the mechanisms and limitations of the storage protocols used by industry and assess risk indicators in storage for scald development (E Crouch, A Botes, A Klein, D Viljoen, T Pandian, M Gerber and A Hlungwani)
- Assessment of a lenticel breakdown prediction method for the South African pome industry (D Viljoen)
- Assessment of fruit density as an indicator for internal browning susceptibility in Fuji apples (D Viljoen)
- Identification of factors involved in the expression of internal browning in Fuji apples and the development of a strategy to reduce risk of incidence. (D Viljoen) [Abstract]
- To assess Internal Browning development potential from high watercore incidence FEMA Forelle. (D Viljoen) [Abstract]
- Summary of Fuji Browning Study and Literature Review (I Crouch)
- Quantification of lenticels in Japanese plum cultivars and their effect on total fruit peel permeance (I Kritzinger)*
- Stone hardening and broken stones in Japanese plums (Prunus salicina Lindl.) evaluated by means of computed tomography scans (E Lötze)*
- Detection of internal heat damage and identification of techniques to prevent the expression of the disorder in plums. (H Viljoen) – also Storage techniques [Abstract]
- Determining ‘Forelle’ pre-harvest mealiness/cavity development stage, due to environmental factors and exploring prevention of mealiness developing after storage and ripening. (E Crouch, L Schoeman and L-M Dippenaar) – see Growing season climate [Abstract]
- Compilation of a database of high-quality images of pome fruit disorders from South African growing and storage conditions to contribute to the further development of software-based determination (APP) for the detection and reduction of bearing damage in fruit (I Crouch) [Abstract]
- Quantifying the role of vapour pressure deficit in the development of lenticel breakdown in Braeburn apples. (E Lötze, D Viljoen and N Mzizi)
- Assessment of fruit density as an indicator for internal browning susceptibility in Fuji apples (D Viljoen) [Abstract]
STONE FRUIT PROJECTS
- No new projects.
- SAFJ Feb/Mar 2022: Mouton, A. Internal heat damage in Laetitia: p. 58.
- SAFJ Apr/May 2022: Mouton, A. Interne verbruining in Cripps Pink: p. 76.
- SAFJ Apr/May 2022: Mouton, A. Wat leer ons uit navorsing: p. 78.
- SAFJ Apr/May 2022: Mouton, A. Die beste praktyke vir Cripps Pink: p. 80.
- SAFJ Apr/May 2022: Mouton, A. Internal browning in Fuji: p. 84.
- SAFJ Apr/May 2022: Mouton, A. Die beste praktyke vir Fuji: p. 86.
- SAFJ Apr/May 2022: Mouton, A. Interne verbruining vanuit die pakhuisperspektief: p. 88.
- SAFJ Feb/Mar 2023: Mditshwa, A. Ozone and the treatment of superficial scald: p. 92.
- Fresh Quarterly Dec 2022: Duvenage, E. Mealiness in Forelle.
- Hortgro Technical Symposium Day 3 – 8 June 2022
- Hortgro Pome Fruit Research Showcase – 6 June 2023
- Hortgro Stone Fruit Research Showcase – 7 June 2023
- Hortgro Postharvest Symposium – 8 June 2023