Storage of New Seedless Grape Cultivar with Sulfur Dioxide Generators

¹ Department of Food Science University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72703.
² Department of Horticulture, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72703.

Two new University of Arkansas table grape cultivars, Reliance (25% Vitis vinifera L. x 75% Vitis labrusca L.) and Saturn (78% Vitis vinifera L. x 22% Vitis labrusca L.), were stored for seven and 10 weeks at 2°C in corrugated cardboard shipping containers with five packing treatments (slow, dual, and quick-release SO₂ generators and lined and unlined controls). The SO₂ treatments consisted of placing grapes in shipping containers lined with unvented polyethylene bags, laying commercially available SO₂ generators on top of the grapes, and closing the bag. The lined control had a closed polyethylene bag surrounding the grapes but no SO₂, while the unlined control had neither SO₂ nor polyethylene bag. Reliance grapes had higher percentages of decay and shatter than Saturn grapes. Grapes stored with SO₂ generators had less decay than the controls. The unlined control had more than four times the percentage weight loss of any other treatment. Flavor was similar among all treatments. The SO₂ generators had no effect on color. Grapes that were wrapped and stored with no SO₂ had the greatest amount of berry shatter. Grapes stored with the dual-release SO₂ generators had less shatter than with the slow-release SO₂ generators. Stem appearance was maintained by the slow-release and dual-release treatments. The use of SO₂ generators had no effect on percentage soluble solids or pH.

Key words: Reliance, Saturn, cold storage, SO₂, table grapes

Submitted on July 1, 1991