ABSTRACT
An increase in apple production and a growing consumer market starting at the beginning of the last century created the necessity for storing apples for extended periods of time. At that point, there was little information on apple ripening, storage or the diseases that developed in storage. Heavy losses from physiological disorders and decays caused by fungi were often experienced. Although direct assessments were not made, the losses can be estimated to be between 20 and 50% (Kader, 1992). Losses as high as 15% and 22.6% to various decays on apples in storage were still reported from Ireland and France, respectively, in the late 1960s (Bondoux, 1967; Swinburne, 1970) and even more recently, 5% losses were reported due to apple blue mould (caused by Penicillium expansum) at the New York terminal market (Cappelini et al., 1987). Total postharvest losses are difficult to determine and they are often underestimated because, to be complete, they should encompass losses occurring during storage, handling, transportation, retail and at the consumer level (Moline, 1984). Nevertheless, the need to reduce these losses has been great.
