engleski

Bitter pit in apples: pre- and postharvest factors

Bitter pit is a physiological disorder that significantly reduces the quality of apples. Although it was found in the beginning of the last century, still there is little known about the mechanism of its occurrence. According to numerous studies, bitter pit is formed as a result of Ca deficiency in the fruit. Some authors cited that the main factor of its occurrence is the high concentration of gibberellins later in the production season that is most probably caused by excessive activity of the roots. Beside Ca, there are several factors that can also contribute to its development, like imbalance among some mineral elements (N, P K and Mg), cultivar, rootstock, the ratio of vegetative and generative growth, post-harvest treatments and the storage methods. There are some prediction models available that can estimate the risk of bitter pit in apples, but even those are not always reliable. The aim of this review is to encompass the pre- and post-harvest factors which cause the bitter pit and to point out the directions for solving this problem.

Ca absorption ; CaCl2 ; gibberellins ; 1-MCP ; DPA ; controlled atmosphere ; physiological disorder

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