The Effect of Hot Water Treatments on Gray Mold and Physicochemical Quality of Kiwi fruit During Storage

Decline in postharvest losses of kiwifruit depended to maintain of quality characteristics during storage and transportation. Storage losses caused serious economic losses in kiwifruit. This study was conducted to inhibition of pathogen infection and increasing fruit quality of Kiwifruit. Hayward kiwifruits inoculated by B.cinerea conidia through pore wounds which formed by removal of the pedicels. Fruits treated through immersion in hot water (45, 50 and 55 oC) for 2, 4 and 8 minutes after 3 weeks. All fruits stored at 0.5oC and 85-90 RH for 18 weeks. The samples had taken at 6th, 12th and 18th weeks and measured some characters including weight loss, peel and pulp color indices (L* and chroma), decay numbers, firmness, decay depth, SSC, TA, SSC/TA, pH, EC, Ascorbic acid, compared with the control. Results showed that weight loss rate increased about 2 fold of control but decay depth and losses prevented at 6th and 12th weeks of storage period significantly. Firmness was higher than control at 12th storage week in hot water treatments but had not significant differences with control until end of storage period. Generally, L* parameter had a positive relationship with firmness. Ascorbic acid increased specially in control treatment during cool storage period. EC, pH, and TA parameters had constant changes during of storage.