-20- 



For breakdown after CA-storage, Ca was twice as important as 

 any other element. This relationship is shown graphically in 



any otner element. inis reiatiunsnip ib snown grapnicaiiy in 

 Figure 1, where the percent ofthe fruit that developed breakdown 

 after CA storage is plotted in relationship to the Ca concentration 

 in the sample at harvest. This graph is virtually identical to 

 the one presented in our previous article on Air-stored fruit. As 

 pointed out then, samples very low in Ca (e.g., less than 130 ppm) 

 almost always developed breakdown in more than 101 of the fruit, 

 while samples high in Ca (e.g., more than 175 ppm) almost never 

 developed breakdown in 10% or more of the fruit. Between these 

 extremes, the lower the Ca the more likely the fruit were to develo 

 excessive amounts of breakdown, although other factors probably 

 determined whether or not these intermediate-Ca apples actually 

 developed breakdown. These results show once again the importance 

 of Ca in preventing breakdown of Mcintosh apples during and after 

 long-term storage. 



Table 1. Correlation coefficients relating mineral concentrations 

 in apples at harvest to occurrences of internal breakdown and 

 rot after storage in air at 320F for 5 months, or after CA 

 storage at 360F for 8 months. 



Asterisks indicate the statistical odds that a real relationship 

 exists : 



Odds of 19:1; **Odds of 99:1; ***Odds of 999:1 



