Effects of bagging and harvest timing on fruit quality of ‘Starkrimson' apple

Abstract: 【Objective】The objective of this article is to study the effects of bagging and harvest timing on apple fruit quality.【Methods】The cultivar‘Starkrimson'was used as material. The fruits were bagged at 50 days after full bloom(DAFB) with non-bagged fruits as the control. Bags were removed at 136 DAFB,fruits were harvested at 140,145,150,155,160 DAFB,and then fruit quality was immediately determined and peel was observed by SEM(Scanning electron microscopy).【Results】The results showed that the volume,single fruit mass and pulp density of‘Starkrimson'apple had no significant difference between bagged and non-bagged fruit,while soluble solids content,soluble sugar content and firmness in bagged treatment were decreased obviously by 0.93%-0.98%,0.9%-0.99% and 0.24 kg·cm- 2to 0.58 kg · cm- 2,respectively. Compared with non- bagged fruit,the microcracking area of bagged fruit increased by 2.37% to 4.8%. The brightness and titratable acid content decreased as the harvest timing delayed,while the single fruit mass,soluble solids content,soluble sugar content and thickness of pericarp increased in both bagged and non-bagged fruits. Moreover,the decrease of firmness and the increase of anthocyanin in bagged fruit were significantly more than in non-bagged fruit as harvest time extended.The yield of bagged and non-bagged treatment was increased by 9.2% and 8.53% respectively when fruit were harvested at 155 DAFB compared with at 140 DAFB. Bagged fruit picked at 150 DAFB maintained well storage quality.【Conclusion】It was concluded that bagged‘Starkrimson'fruit harvested at 155 DAFB is suitable for fresh-eating,and picked at 150 DAFB is proper for storage.