‘ROCHA’ PEARS STORED UNDER CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE WITH ULTRA-LOW AND LOW O2 ASSOCIATED WITH DIFFERENT CO2 LEVELS

ABSTRACT The storage of ‘Rocha’ pears under controlled atmosphere (CA) preserves fruit quality for long periods. However, inadequate CA conditions might impair ripening and lead to flesh browning. This research was carried out to assess the effects of CA with ultra-low (ULO), and low O2 (LO) associated with different CO2 levels on ripening and occurrence of flesh browning in ‘Rocha’ pears. Treatments evaluated were: pO2 = 0.5 kPa (ULO) and pCO2