Assessment of the Potential of 1-Methylcyclopropene Treatments to Maintain Fruit Quality of the Common Fig

The fig fruit is a unique, climacteric, highly perishable subject to rapid physiological breakdown. Application of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) was tested to delay ripening of black fig (Ficus carica L. cv. 'Bursa Siyahi') during storage over two growing seasons. Fruits were pre-cooled to 1 °C for 6 hours and afterwards treated with 500 or 1000 nl l-1 of 1-MCP for 24 hours. Treated fruits were stored for 10 days at 1 °C, 90-95% RH and then evaluated. 1-MCP treatments showed that ethylene production, respiration rate, weight loss and concentrations of glucose, fructose and total soluble solids (TSS) were negatively correlated to the 1-MCP doses during cold storage (with the exception of TSS in the first year of experiment and respiration rate in the second year of the experiment). In contrast, pulp firmness and colour (ho) during cold storage were positively correlated to the 1-MCP applied doses. Results of this study showed that although 1-methylcyclopropene applications slowed down fruit softening during the 10 days of storage, 1-methylcyclopropene appeared to have a relatively limited effect on slowing ripening of 'Bursa Siyahi' figs.