cannot be dealt with except by rapid disposal o£ them. It is 

 better to pick a little too soon than a little too late . Over- 

 naturity is perhaps the greatest source of storage problems . 



P re-storage operations . It is absolutely essential that apples 

 be cooled quickly and thoroughly after harvest. Ideally, they 

 should be cooled to 32°F within 24 to 36 hours, but in practice 

 it is sufficient to completely cool them in 7 days. However, few 

 growers have any idea what the temperature of their fruit actually 

 is in storage. (Air temperature is a poor gauge of fruit tempera- 

 ture.) Some growers who have measured fruit temperature during 

 storage with thermocouples have been shocked to learn how slowly 

 they are cooling. Many refrigeration systems are designed to 

 maintain temperatures after the apples are cool, and therefore do 

 not have the capacity to rapidly cool large volumes of fruit. 

 These rooms can only cool fruit adequately if they are loaded slowly 

 and carefully. Use of bulk bins increases the cooling problem, 

 since contact of moving cold air with the fruit is reduced. Fur- 

 thermore, bins are often arranged in the storage without regard 

 for air-flow patterns. Cold air must move over the surface of an 

 apple if it is to cool quickly. Inadequate cooling is undoubtedly 

 a major source of storage problems . 



Varieties susceptible to scald should be treated with an 

 inhibitor before storage if they are to be stored beyond early 

 January. Postharvest dips are very effective if used properly. 

 Diphenylamine, at 1000 ppm for Mcintosh, 1000-1500 ppm for Delicious, 

 and 2000 ppm for Cortland, is generally the preferred inhibitor 

 except for Golden Delicious, but Ethoxyquin at 2700 ppm may also be 

 used. Tests in New York indicate that liquid-concentrate DPA is 

 more effective than wettable powder DPA, since it is more stable in 

 suspension and less toxic to the fruit, although it requires addi- 

 tion of a defoaming agent. Surveys in New York revealed that many 

 dip tanks contained considerably less inhibitor than recommended, 

 due to dilution of solution by wet apples, removal of inhibitor on 

 the surface of treated fruit, and breakdown of inhibitor in the dip 

 tank. New York recommendations now suggest that when DPA dips are 

 being replenished (brought back to volume), double- strength solution 

 should be added to the tank, to compensate for this diminished con- 

 centration of the inhibitor. 



If a postharvest dip is being used, it is wise to add a fungi- 

 cide. A circular on "New England Suggestions for Postharvest Fruit 

 Rot and Storage Scald Control" is available from your Regional Fruit 

 Specialist. Benlate* has given excellent decay control on apples, 

 but it should be noted that Benlate* seems to be unusually conducive 

 to development of resistant strains of fungi. If Benlate* has been 

 used during the growing season, there is a possibility that a resis- 

 tant strain is present on the fruit. Furthermore, it is suggested 

 that treated fruit be removed from the dipping area as quickly as 

 feasible to avoid buildup of resistant spores. Much can be done to 

 reduce storage decay problems by preharvest sanitation treatments; 

 this was carefully described in Fruit Notes by Dr. C. J. Gilgut in 

 1972 (Fruit Notes, Sept .-Oct. :pp 2-7) . 



