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Effects of 10% plant oils (corn, soybean, peanut, canola, sunflower, safflower, rape seed, linseed, and cottonseed), 100 mg·L-1 chlorine, or 100 mg·L-1 chlorine plus 10% oil combinations on pathogen (B. cinerea, P. expansum, or G. cingulata) infection and fruit decay in `Delicious' apples and `Ya Li' pears were studied. None of the oils showed inhibition on spore germination of the three pathogens by in vitro test. In inoculated fruit, oil treatments did not affect incidence but reduced severity of decay after 6 months storage at 0 °C plus 7 days at 20 °C, but no difference was found among the oils at the same concentration. In non-inoculated fruit, oils reduced fruit decay to low levels (4%) even in the most severe season. Oils also maintained fruit quality attributes, reduced water loses, and controlled scald in apples and internal browning in pears. Chlorine reduced incidence but did not reduce severity in decayed fruit. Fruit first drenched with chlorine then dipped in oil emulsions without pathogen inoculation remained decay free, while control fruit developed 10% to 15% or 13% to 23% decay after 6 months at 0 °C plus 7 days at 20 °C in both apples and pears, respectively.
Preclimacteric `Bartlett' pears (Pyrus communis L.) were dipped for 3 min in either corn (Zea mays L.) or soybean [(Glycine max (L.) Merrill] oil emulsion immediately after harvest and stored at 0 °C. Untreated control fruit developed higher percentages of senescent scald, core breakdown, and decay after 15 weeks storage. Both treatments inhibited senescent scald, core breakdown, and decay in a similar and concentration dependent manner. Complete control of senescent scald and core breakdown was achieved by emulsions at 5% and 10%, and of decay by emulsion at 10%. Compared with controls, emulsion treatments delayed and reduced internal ethylene accumulation and volatile production in early storage and increased them in late storage. Compared with controls, fruit treated with oil contained similar levels of internal O2 and CO2 in early storage and higher CO2 and lower O2 in late storage. While control fruit lost commercial value after 15 weeks at 0 °C plus 5 days at 20 °C, oil-treated fruit exhibited normal color change, and had higher soluble solids, titratable acidity, and volatile production. Microscopic examination revealed that emulsion-treated fruit had a continuous surface film conforming to the contour of the fruit.