The Influence of 1-MCP on Shelf-Life Quality of Highbush Blueberry

To determine if postharvest treatments of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) retard the senescence of highbush blueberries ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.) removed from storage, `Burlington' (early) and `Coville' (late) fruit were harvested from four experimental sites and treated for 24 hours at 20 °C with 0 (control), 25 (low), 100 (medium), or 400 (high) nL·L -1 of 1-MCP. All fruit were then stored in a controlled atmosphere of 10-15 kPa O 2 and 10 kPa CO 2 at -1 to 1 °C for 4, 8, and 12 weeks, followed by a 20 °C shelf-life of up to 20 days. During the shelf-life period immediately after harvest and those following each storage removal, percent marketable fruit (PMF) were calculated daily as: [fruit in good condition]/[total berry number] × 100. Changes in PMF were not affected by 1-MCP treatment; hence, we conclude that 1-MCP at rates up to 400 nL·L -1 does not alter the shelf-life quality of the highbush blueberry cultivars tested.