Response of Several Apple Cultivars to Methyl Bromide Fumigation
in HortTechnology`Fuji', `Gala' and `Jonagold' apples (Malus×domestica Borkh.) from either regular-atmosphere (RA) or controlled-atmosphere (CA) storage can be fumigated with methyl bromide (MeBr) with minimal effects on fruit quality. Some quality loss, particularly in internal color, was possible at 48 and 56 g·m−3 MeBr doses for `Fuji', `Gala', and `Jonagold' apples from CA storage. `Braeburn' apples from either RA or CA storage were not good candidates for MeBr fumigation, particularly at 10 °C. Observed internal damage indicated that `Braeburn' apples from RA or CA cannot be fumigated with MeBr. Apples with watercore displayed increased internal breakdown after fumigation with MeBr. Regardless of cultivar, only apples of superior quality could tolerate the stress of MeBr fumigation.
