REDUCTION OF CHILLING INJURY IN GRAPEFRUIT AND ORANGES STORED AT 1-DEGREES-C BY PRESTORAGE HOT-DIP TREATMENTS, CURING, AND WAX APPLICATION

Chilling injury in Marsh grapefruit during storage at 1-degrees-C was reduced 61% by dipping in hot water (50-degrees-C) for 2 min before storage. The fungicide thiabendazole (TBZ) at 1000 mg/L applied as a cold dip (14-degrees-C) reduced the susceptibility of these fruit to chilling injury by 28% over an 8-week storage period. Susceptibility of Washington navel oranges to chilling injury was reduced 65% after dipping in hot TBZ (50-degrees-C) for 2 min. Wax application and prestorage curing for 1 week at 20-degrees-C also reduced chilling injury damage. Where there is a risk of chilling injury in fruit to be disinfected against fruit fly, the risk can be reduced by dipping in a hot TBZ suspension at 50-degrees-C. A thorough application of wax has also been shown to reduce the susceptibility of citrus fruit to chilling injury.