Reduction of postharvest rotting with an ethylene absorbent: a case study with pineapple

Abstract

Peduncle mould caused by Penicillium sp. in export pineapple is a major postharvest problem in Costa Rica and causes significant economic losses. The accumulation of ethylene in the cooling rooms and transport containers may be a risk factor for fungal growth. Ethylene exposure has been shown to enhance fungal development in other non-climacteric fruit such as strawberry and citrus. This paper assessed the use of a potassium permanganate ethylene absorbent (Bi-On®, Bioconservacion SA, Spain) in reducing rotting of waxed and unwaxed 'Gold Extra Sweet' pineapple held under export conditions of 25 days at 7.5°C and 85-90% RH with and without aerobic inoculation with Penicillium inoculation. The obtained results show that the inclusion of the potassium permanganate absorbent into the storage room significantly reduced (p<0.05) the incidence of peduncle mould after the cold storage followed by shelf-life simulation of 3 days at 18°C and 85-90% RH. There was no significant effect of waxing nor aerial inoculation with Penicillium purpurogenum spores on the incidence of rotting. It is concluded that ethylene absorption is an effective method to reduce peduncle rot in stored pineapple without applying fungicides to the fruit.