Pomegranate Storage Trials: 2017 Report.pdf

The Fruit Storage Lab, Miguel, Kiryat Shmona, conducted trials on apple storage in 2017. The team included Danny Garmasni, Tal Goldberg, Shaul Neshit, Lihi Shifman, Ella Bilging, Ibrahim, Lihi Barakowitz, Ronen Shpigel, and Haral Agra. Thanks were given to various individuals and organizations.

The lab's recommendations are professional advice only, and they are not liable for any damages. The trials focused on:

1. Fungicide sprays in orchards for apple storage: Spraying apples with a mixture of marphan and fluidoxonil significantly reduced storage rot. 1-MCP treatment also effectively inhibited surface scald. Combining these treatments resulted in high marketable yields with good internal quality. A commercial-scale trial showed increased marketable yields and reduced waste. It's recommended to first test this method on Costa apples, which are more susceptible to rot but less to scald, before applying it to other varieties.

2. Maturity indices for long-term storage of Costa apples: Costa apples are the second-largest cultivated variety in Israel, but their optimal harvest time for long-term storage has not been determined. The trial found that acoustic firmness increased at the beginning of the commercial harvest and remained stable. Acoustic firmness and soluble solids content were not reliable indicators for harvest timing. Further research is needed to develop a reliable harvest index.

The lab's contact information is provided, and all recommendations are professional advice only, with no liability for any damages.