Determination of Storage Timings of Some Table Varieties of Apricot

The increases in production and export of table apricot have revealed necessity of determination of post–harvest resistance of the cultivars. This study carried out in order to determine quality changes in table cultivars such as Ninfa, Precoce de Tyrinthe, Iğdır and Şekerpare during shelf–life after cold storage period. Fruits were kept at 0°C and 90–95% relative humidity for 35 days. Samples removed from storage at weekly periods then were kept 20°C and 75% relative humidity for 2 days and then some quality parameters, physiological and pathological conditions have been studied. On further storage periods, all varieties had an increase in weight loss and pH value, while titratable acidity ratio decreased at the end of the shelf life. Precoce de Tyrinthe and Ninfa fruits were softened and had rot development during shelf–life after cold storage respectively, 21 and 28 days, while there were not any disorders in Iğdır and Şekerpare varieties. In this study it was determined that Iğdır and Şekerpare varieties were maintained quality characteristics during 2 days shelf–life after 35 days cold storage, on the contrary, Precoce de Tyrinthe and Ninfa varieties can be stored for 14 and 21 days, respectively.