Keeping Ripe Peaches

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31187, 11 October 1966, Page 3

Keeping Ripe Peaches

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, Oct. 10. A method of preventing brown rot in peaches after they have been picked, has been tested successfully for more than a year in Auckland and is likely to be used by commercial growers next season.

Fruit Research Division scientists at Mount Albert say the method could reduce losses from brown rot considerably. They received many inquiries from commercial firms planning to adopt the process. Brown rot in stored peaches has proved a problem in Auckland. Spraying can keep fruit on the trees reasonably free, but one recent test showed 40 per cent of sprayed peaches in one picking developed brown rot after a week in store.

The new process consists of dipping the picked fruit for 10 minutes in water heated to 50 degrees centigrade. Fruit after such treatment has been held at room temperature for seven days with a wastage loss of less than 10 per cent, compared with 80 to 90 per cent loss for undipped fruit. A further two to three weeks in cool store also produced no wastage. A similar method for treating tree tomatoes, using heated water, was announced recently.