Response of Apple Cultivars to Fumigation with Methyl Bromide

Abstract

`Golden Delicious', `Delicious', and `Spartan' apples (Malus domestics Borkh.) showed a high, moderate, and low tolerance, respectively, to methyl bromide fumigation. Incidence of external and internal disorders increased, in most instances, with longer storage periods after fumigation treatments and with longer exposure times to the fumigant. Dips in diphenylamine before fumigation reduced, but did not prevent, disorders. Fumigation had little effect on firmness and no effect on soluble solids content or titratable acidity. Methyl bromide concentrations with a low risk of disorder development were 32 to 64 g·m-3 for `Golden Delicious', 32 to 48 g·m-3 for `Delicious', and 32 g·m-3 for `Spartan', all at 10C for 2 hours.