Avocados are becoming an increasingly important crop in South Africa, where the main producing areas include Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. The South African avocado industry faces considerable challenges including increasing competition exporting avocados, particularly to the European market. The processes involved to export avocados has markedly improved over the past two decades, however there is always room for improvement and it is necessary to remain competitive on a global scale. Issues such as fruit being partially soft on arrival, quality defects and cold chain management breakdown are still present. It is necessary to investigate new aspects of cold storage such as extending the storage period and understanding the physiological aspects involved. To improvement such issues, an investigation was conducted on ultra-low temperature shipping (1°C) as well as the use of 1-MCP; the implementation of deliberate cold chain breaks to achieve a better understanding as to the quality influences involved; an extended storage period of 56 days to assess the quality issues and benefits involved; as well as investigating the physiological aspects involved with all above treatments on 'Hass' avocados. An initial study saw early-, mid- and late-season 'Hass' avocados stored at 1°C or 5.5°C for 28 days. Additional treatments included fruit treated and not treated with 1-MCP as well as waxed and unwaxed fruit. Storage at 1°C was comparable with 1-MCP treatment for both fruit softening in storage and extending the ripening period. Storage at 5.5°C resulted in partial in-transit ripening, if 1-MCP was not used. Early-season fruit incurred the most external chilling injury but overall levels were minimal and not concerning. Mid-season fruit were the most sound in terms of quality. It is suggested that 1°C can be used as a viable economic alternative to 1-MCP for long distance shipping of 'Hass' up to 28 days. The cold chain break trial included a 24 hour delay before cold storage, a deliberate 8 hour break at day 14 of cold storage where fruit were removed from cold storage and a control of 28 days cold storage where no break was involved. Early-, mid- and late-season 'Hass' avocados were stored at 1°C or 5.5°C for 28 days. Additional treatments included fruit treated and not treated with 1-MCP as well as waxed and unwaxed fruit. It was found that cold chain breaks do influence the amount of water loss, fruit softening and days taken to ripen. Storage at 1°C did not entirely negate the effects of cold chain breaks compared with 5.5°C, but did result in fruit which were harder at the end of storage and took longer to ripen. The use of 1-MCP also had advantageous effects with respect to significantly lengthening the ripening period, even when a cold chain break occurred, compared with fruit not treated with 1-MCP. As results of the study differed in some respects to those of previous studies, it is recommended that further work be conducted to determine what fruit or pre-harvest factors affect the fruit physiological changes which take place when cold chain breaks occur. Having the option to make use of an extended storage period would be of benefit to the industry if delays occur and fruit have to be maintained under cold storage. Extended storage of South African avocados, especially at the end of the season would also allow for the option of strategically holding back fruit from the export market in order to extend the supply period. It would not only benefit export options, but would also be highly beneficial to local pre-packers, as it would reduce the need to import fruit from the Northern hemisphere production areas during the South African off-season. Early-, mid- and late-season 'Hass' avocados were stored at 1°C or 5.5°C for 56 days. Additional treatments included fruit treated and not treated with 1-MCP as well as waxed and unwaxed fruit. The combination of 1°C with the use of 1-MCP resulted in a good shelf life as well as maintenance of internal quality and integrity. External chilling injury is of concern for early-season fruit, however, mid- and late-season fruit did not incur extensive damage. It is, therefore, advised that fruit placed in extended storage are marketed through the 'Ready ripe' program to mask any chilling injury on the 'Hass' fruit. Avocados are renown as a "healthy food" due to their nutritional value as well as containing relatively high concentrations of antioxidants. The fruit also contain high amounts of C7 sugars which can act as antioxidants. Additionally, C7 sugars and other antioxidants play important roles in fruit quality. Therefore, it is important to understand how varying storage conditions and treatments affect the levels of these physiological parameters. Treatments of cold chain break/delay included a deliberate 8 hour break at day 14 of cold storage where fruit were removed from cold storage, a 24 hour delay before cold storage and a control of 28 days where no break was involved. A 56 day extended storage period was also used. Early-, mid- and late-season 'Hass' avocados were stored at 1°C or 5.5°C for 28 days. Additional treatments included fruit treated and not treated with 1-MCP as well as waxed and unwaxed fruit. The use of 1-MCP maintained higher levels of antioxidants, ascorbic acid and C7 sugars for both the 28 day and the 56 day storage periods. The 24 hour delay had a tendency to increase consumption of anti-oxidant and sugar reserves. The use of 1°C resulted in antioxidant and ascorbic acid levels decreasing while maintaining higher sugar levels. Overall, high stress imposed on fruit decreased reserves resulting in poor quality fruit. The use of 1°C and 1-MCP treatments maintained fruit quality. / Thesis (M.Sc.Agric.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

Thesis (MSc Food Sc)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African avocado fruit industry is export driven and the successful storage of fruits for extended periods is, therefore, essential. It was recorded that 7.7 million cartons were exported during the 1995 season. The shipping of the avocados takes approximately 15 days and the fruits are being stored at low temperatures to minimise the possibility of fruits softening. Unfortunately low temperature storage results in chilling injury. A possible method to increase avocado resistance to chilling injury is to administer a heat shock treatment. In this way the fruits are protected from chilling injury by inducing the formation of so-called heat-shock proteins which render the cell membranes more resistant to chilling injury. The objective of this study was to evaluate different heat shock treatment protocols as a method of preventing or minimising chilling injury and to extend the shelf-life of avocado fruits while exporting at the lowest possible temperature. Examining the effect of different temperatures and exposure times on the quality of the different avocado cultivars pursued this. The exterior chilling injury on each fruit was quantified and the firmness and internal quality parameters evaluated. A total of 32 Experimental Studies were conducted. The results showed that the Hot Water Heat shock Treatment (HWHST) worked effectively for the South African 'Fuerte' cultivar between 40° and 42°C for exposure times of between 20 and 30 min. The 'Edranol' cultivar also showed promising results between 40° and 42°C for exposure time of between 8 and 22 min. The HWHST was not effective on the South African 'Hass' cultivar. The 'Ryan' cultivar with its thick skin made this cultivar less susceptible to chilling injury and therefore HWHST would be unnecessary. The 'Pinkerton' cultivar had a lot of factors that influenced the results. Therefore, more research needed to be done on the 'Pinkerton' cultivar, before any conclusions could be obtained from this cultivar, although it showed potential. Hot air treatment worked fairly well, but unfortunately the long exposure time needed made this treatment unpractical. Throughout the whole study the importance of maturity surfaced as a major role in all the aspects of post harvest quality. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse avokado vrugtebedryf is hoofsaaklik gerig op die uitvoermark en daarom is dit belangrik dat die vrugte vir 'n bepaalde tyd suksesvolopgeberg kan word. Die sensus opname gedurende die 1995 seisoen het getoon dat 7.7 miljoen bokse avokados uitgevoer is. Die avokados word vir ongeveer 15 dae per boot vervoer, wat kan lei tot vrugte wat sag word. Om dit te verhoed, word die vrugte by lae temperature opgeberg. Ongelukkig veroorsaak lae opbergingstemperature koueskade. 'n Moontlike metode om avokados te beskerm teen lae temperature en koueskade te verminder, is om 'n hitteskok behandeling toe te pas. Op hierdie manier word die vrugte beskerm teen koueskade deur die vorming van sogenaamde hitteskok proteïene wat die selwande meer bestand maak teen koueskade. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die verskillende hitteskok behandelings protokols te evalueer as 'n metode van beskerming of vermindering van koueskade en om sodoende die rakleeftyd van avocados te verleng as die vrugte by lae temperature uitgevoer word. Eksperimente is uitgevoer om die effek van verskillende temperature en blootstellingstye op die kwaliteit van die verskillende avokado kultivars te bepaal. Die koueskade op die oppervlakte van elke vrug is bepaal en die fermheid en interne kwaliteit parameters is geëvalueer. In totaal is daar altesaam 32 Eksperimentele Studies gedoen. Die resultate het gewys dat die Warm Water Hitteskok Behandeling (WWHB) effektief was op die Suid-Afrikaanse 'Fuerte' kultivar by temperature tussen 40° en 42°C en by blootstellingstye van tussen 20 en 30 min. Belowende resultate is ook met die 'Edranol' kultivar by temperature tussen 40° en 42°C met blootstellingtye van tussen 8 en 22 min behaal. Die WWHB was oneffektief vir die Suid-Afrikaanse 'Hass' kultivar. Die 'Ryan' kultivar se dik skil het hierdie kultivar minder vatbaar gemaak vir koueskade en daarom was 'n WWHB onnodig gewees. By die 'Pinkerton' kultivar kon daar nog nie 'n gevolgtrekking gemaak word nie, aangesien daar nog baie faktore is wat ondersoek moet word, alhoewel die kultivar baie potentiaal getoon het. Warm lug behandeling het potensiaal gehad, maar die lang blootstellingstye het hierdie behandeling onprakties gemaak. Gedurende die hele studie is daar klem gelê op die rypheisgraad van die vrugte wat na vore gekom het as 'n belangrike faktor wat 'n hoofrol speel in al die aspekte van die na-oes kwaliteit.

Thesis (M. Sc. (Horticulture)) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / ‘Hass’ avocado fruit changes skin colour from green to purple and then black during ripening. However, markets importing South African avocado fruit have been complaining about the ‘Hass’ skin colour not changing to purple/black during ripening. Thus, the study aimed to investigate the effect of tree girdling, harvest time and ripening temperature on ‘Hass’ avocado fruit skin colour development during ripening. The mature ‘Hass’ avocado fruit were harvested from girdled and non-girdled trees during early (April), mid- (May) and late (June) harvest times. Upon arrival, in the laboratory fruit were cold stored at 5.5°C for 28 days. After storage, fruit were ripened at 25, 21 and 16°C for 8, 6 and 4 days, respectively. After withdrawal from clod storage fruit were evaluated for skin colour development, ripening and physiological disorders (chilling injury). Fruit from girdled trees showed high maturity (low moisture content) when compared with fruit from non-girdled trees during early and mid-harvest. With respect to skin colour development, the results indicate that skin eye colour development of fruit from girdled and non-girdled trees minimally increased from emerald green (1) to olive green (3) across all harvest times, ripening temperature and ripening duration. However, late season fruit from non-girdled trees improved to purple (4) when ripened at 21°C when compared with fruit from girdled trees. In terms of objective colour, lightness, hue angle and chroma decreased for fruit from girdled and non-girdled trees, across all harvest times, ripening temperature and ripening duration. Lightness and hue angle of fruit from girdled trees were slightly reduced when compared with fruit from non-girdled trees, throughout all harvest times, ripening temperature and duration. Early and mid-season fruit harvested from girdled trees showed rapid decrease of chroma when compared with fruit from non-girdled trees, throughout ripening temperature and x duration. In terms of softening, fruit from girdled trees showed higher firmness loss and ripening percentage within 6 (16°C) and 4 (21 and 25°C) days when compared with fruit from non-girdled trees during early and mid-harvest, whereas, late harvest fruit from girdled trees reached higher ripening percentage and firmness loss within 4 days throughout ripening temperatures. With respect to cold damage, late harvested fruit from girdled trees showed higher external chilling injury when compared with non-girdled trees, throughout ripening temperature. In general, girdling treatment improved fruit maturity, ripening rate and firmness loss. However, the incidence of variable skin colouring of ‘Hass’ avocado fruit during ripening was also prevalent in early harvested fruit from girdled tree, irrespective of ripening temperature. Keywords: girdling, harvest time, physiological disorder, ripening temperature, variable colouring

Thesis (M.Sc. (Horticulture)) --University of Limpopo, 2018 / ‘Hass’ avocado fruit changes skin colour from green to purple and then black during ripening. However, markets importing South African avocado fruit have been complaining about the ‘Hass’ skin colour not changing to purple/black during ripening. Thus, the study aimed to investigate the effect of tree girdling, harvest time and ripening temperature on ‘Hass’ avocado fruit skin colour development during ripening. The mature ‘Hass’ avocado fruit were harvested from girdled and non-girdled trees during early (April), mid- (May) and late (June) harvest times. Upon arrival, in the laboratory fruit were cold stored at 5.5°C for 28 days. After storage, fruit were ripened at 25, 21 and 16°C for 8, 6 and 4 days, respectively. After withdrawal from clod storage fruit were evaluated for skin colour development, ripening and physiological disorders (chilling injury). Fruit from girdled trees showed high maturity (low moisture content) when compared with fruit from non-girdled trees during early and mid-harvest. With respect to skin colour development, the results indicate that skin eye colour development of fruit from girdled and non-girdled trees minimally increased from emerald green (1) to olive green (3) across all harvest times, ripening temperature and ripening duration. However, late season fruit from non-girdled trees improved to purple (4) when ripened at 21°C when compared with fruit from girdled trees. In terms of objective colour, lightness, hue angle and chroma decreased for fruit from girdled and non-girdled trees, across all harvest times, ripening temperature and ripening duration. Lightness and hue angle of fruit from girdled trees were slightly reduced when compared with fruit from non-girdled trees, throughout all harvest times, ripening temperature and duration. Early and mid-season fruit harvested from girdled trees showed rapid decrease of chroma when compared with fruit from non-girdled trees, throughout ripening temperature and x duration. In terms of softening, fruit from girdled trees showed higher firmness loss and ripening percentage within 6 (16°C) and 4 (21 and 25°C) days when compared with fruit from non-girdled trees during early and mid-harvest, whereas, late harvest fruit from girdled trees reached higher ripening percentage and firmness loss within 4 days throughout ripening temperatures. With respect to cold damage, late harvested fruit from girdled trees showed higher external chilling injury when compared with non-girdled trees, throughout ripening temperature. In general, girdling treatment improved fruit maturity, ripening rate and firmness loss. However, the incidence of variable skin colouring of ‘Hass’ avocado fruit during ripening was also prevalent in early harvested fruit from girdled tree, irrespective of ripening temperature. Keywords: girdling, harvest time, physiological disorder, ripening temperature, variable colouring

‘Fuerte’ makes up 25% of the avocados exported from South Africa to European markets and requires shipping periods of up to 28 days and a correctly managed cold chain. A temperature of 5.5°C and expensive CA and 1-MCP treatments are currently used to delay ripening over this lengthy cold chain; however, fruit still appear on the European market showing signs of softening and physiological disorders. Increased competition on the global market and the disadvantage of a particularly long distance to the European market has challenged the South African export industry. These challenges have necessitated improved road and sea transport logistics, co-ordination with producing countries which supply fruit to European markets over similar periods as South Africa, and research into ultra-low temperature storage to possibly enable future access to new lucrative markets in the USA, China and Japan. It is also known that there are various ‘weak links’ in this cold chain and that cold chain breaks are detrimental to fruit quality, but further research into the negative effects of these cold chain breaks at ultra-low temperatures was needed. Thus, the objective of the study was to determine the potential for shipping ‘Fuerte’ avocados at temperatures of 2°C as well as determining the effects of cold chain breaks on fruit quality, throughout the growing season and possibly for an extended period of 56 days. ‘Fuerte’ avocados were harvested at three different maturity stages reflecting early-, mid- and late-season fruit, with moisture contents of 74%, 68% and 63%, respectively. Fruit were stored at 2°C or 5.5°C, treated with 1-MCP and waxed. Additionally cold chain breaks (24 hour delay and break at 14 days) were implemented. Fruit softening, mass loss, days-to-ripening, external and internal quality as well as antioxidant levels and total sugar levels were determined. The first aim was to determine whether a lower than currently used storage temperature could be a successful alternative to 1-MCP use. A storage temperature of 2°C provided good internal quality as well as reduced mass loss and fruit softening, which is related to the slightly reduced use of C7 sugars at 2°C compared with 5.5°C. Although the overall occurrence of external chilling injury was relatively low, 2°C storage caused a notably higher occurrence of external chilling injury than 5.5°C storage, particularly early in the season, but extended the days-to-ripening. Unfortunately, no correlation between the anti-oxidants in the exocarp and external damage was found. Waxing significantly reduced the external damage on fruit stored at 2°C, so much so, that the treatment combinations of ‘2°C, no 1-MCP, waxed’ showed no external chilling injury throughout the season. Further, waxing fruit at 2°C could eliminate the need for 1-MCP, delivering a product of the required shelf-life and quality. Best results were achieved for mid-season fruit stored at 2°C. Late-season fruit would potentially be the most profitable to store at this low temperature, however, body rots (anthracnose and stem-end rot) were more common in the late-season. Storage at 2°C can therefore maintain the internal quality over a storage period of 28 days and be a potential alternative to 1-MCP use as the season progresses. The effect of cold chain breaks on fruit quality was then investigated and showed that both a delay and a break in the cold chain increased mass loss and fruit softening, reduced days-to-ripening and increased external chilling injury, especially early in the season. Water loss was the main contributor to the decreased fruit quality which resulted from the delay in cooling, increasing external damage significantly, particularly early in the season. The break at 14 days had a marked effect on physiological activity of fruit during storage, seen mainly in the increased metabolic activity, resulting in increased fruit softening and water loss during storage and a decrease in C7 sugars and thus shelf-life, particularly for fruit stored at 5.5°C. Importantly, 1-MCP use and storage at 2°C reduced the effects of cold chain breaks with respect to fruit softening, however, lowering the storage temperature had a greater negating effect than 1-MCP and could be a successful alternative to the use of 1-MCP. The internal quality throughout the experiment was very good, with few internal disorders and no significant treatment effects on internal quality and C7 sugar concentrations. Overall, a break in the cold chain, before and during cold storage, resulted in a marked reduction in fruit quality. The storage temperature of 5.5°C should not be used for a 56 day storage period as it resulted in significant fruit softening during storage, even when 1-MCP was used, and resulted in significantly more external chilling injury in the mid- and late-season than at 2°C. Storage of 1-MCP treated, waxed fruit at 2°C, resulted in the best shelf-life and fruit quality, particularly mid-season fruit which had negligible external chilling injury and 100% sound fruit. Early-season fruit suffered significant external chilling injury at 2°C and late-season fruit had the highest body-rots and internal disorders at this storage temperature. Although mid-season fruit could be successfully stored at 2°C for 56 days, the use of a 56 day storage period is not recommended as a practical storage period, due to the high risk of external damage, particularly if maturity levels are not optimum and trees and fruit are not of the highest quality. Overall this thesis has shown that 1-MCP treatment can play an important role early in the season when fruit are susceptible to external damage, however, storage at 2°C results in good quality fruit and, when used in conjunction with waxing, appears to be a viable alternative to the use of 1-MCP, particularly later in the season. Further, the negative effects of cold chain breaks on fruit quality have been demonstrated and, importantly, the storage temperature of 2°C negates the fruit softening effects of these breaks, even if 1-MCP is not used. / Thesis (M.Sc.Agric.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.