ADAPTABILITY OF APPLE TREE VARIETIES TO THE MAIN DISEASES WHEN STORED UNDER CHANGING CONDITIONS OF REGULATED ENVIRONMENT
The article deals with the results of studies on the storage conditions of late-ripening apple, among them such varieties as Golden Delicious, Aydared and Renet Simirenko. The fruits were harvested undamaged at the stage of picking. The apples were stored in common gas environment (CGE) with 0.03% CO2 and 21% O2 content and in the regulated atmosphere (RA) with 3% CO2 and 1.5%, at 2°C and 92% air humidity. It was found that the adaptive qualities of apple varieties under study manifested themselves to the greatest extent under the conditions of atmosphere control: the storage term was at 1.6 months longer, 90-98% of the ripe fruit, depending on varieties, was of standard quality. It is shown that when stored under the condition of free air access the apples of the varieties under study are affected by gray mould of fruits, while under the condition of controlled atmosphere they are affected by sunburn and withering. Different infection of apple varieties under study has been observed. It is proved that under condition of controlled atmosphere the fruits infection with microorganisms is reduced. The factors of yeast and fungus increase on the surface of apples, the main of them being the acid reaction of environment, have been identified. Under the conditions of regulated atmosphere the natural sustainability of such apple varieties as Golden Delishes and Aidared has realized to the highest extent. The best results in the microflora number have been obtained when storing the Aidared apple variety.