Abstract
'Pink Lady' TM apples are an important new variety with unique market advantages as a result of their quality and market identity. This image is at risk of being damaged as a result of the flesh browning disorder that has been a problem for both domestic and exported fruit over recent years. The disorder is sporadic in nature and occurs in both air and CA storage. This disorder seems to be the result of a combination of factors that have been implicated in other storage disorders of apples. An international team of researchers from 4 countries from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres contribute to this project. Our preliminary results show that 'Pink Lady' TM apples are sensitive to high CO 2 levels in storage and that late harvested fruit are more susceptible to the disorder. We also have data showing that differences in temperatures during early fruit development among regions are correlated with differences in fruit density and air content of the fruit cortex measured at maturity. We therefore hypothesize that climatic and production practices, such as crop load can influence either the structure of fruit and/or its ripening metabolism and in turn predispose fruit to the disorder. We propose that the structure of the fruit influences fruit sensitivity to CO 2. It is also likely that seasonal conditions influence maturity.