Investigations into the molecular and physiological factors influencing low temperature breakdown in stonefruit

Cold storage is essential for the successful distribution of stonefruit to distant markets; however most cultivars suffer chilling injury (CI), commonly referred to as low temperature breakdown (LTB). LTB is a significant problem for industry and the genetic factors responsible for its onset are not understood. Treatment of stonefruit with the ethylene antagonist, 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) before cold storage has been shown to differentially affect the development of CI in peaches and plums. 1-MCP treatment increases the incidence of LTB in peaches but reduces it in plums (Fernández-Trujillo and Artés, 1997; Fan et al., 2002). These observations were confirmed and preliminary research into the effects of 1-MCP and cold storage on gene expression is reported herein.