ABSTRACT Yerba mate shows social and economic importance for the Southern Latin American countries due to its easy production and large market range. However, there is a problem to harvest the yerba mate at the correct period and to store it until processing and marketing. Thus, the aim of this paper was to evaluate the interaction among the storage in controlled atmosphere, effect of cultivation form and shelf life period on yerba mate quality after long-term controlled atmosphere storage. The experiment was conducted in a factorial arrangement (3 controlled atmosphere conditions × 2 cultivation forms × 4 weeks of shelf life). Native yerba mate, stored under controlled atmosphere, showed higher chlorophyll concentration as compared to the cultivated one. Carotenoid concentration increased up to the third week of shelf life and thereafter remained constant, if the yerba mate was stored under ambient conditions. Oxygen partial pressure lowering allows long-term yerba mate storage, keeping its quality during four shelf life weeks at 20 °C. Controlled atmosphere is an efficient technique for yerba mate quality keeping during long-term storage and shelf life, allowing the harvest of the raw material at the correct period and the maintenance of its quality until processing and marketing. The cultivation form has a significant effect on the storage and shelf life potential of yerba mate stored under controlled atmosphere.

AbstractThe main goal of the present study was to elucidate the effect of growth regulators at harvest and postharvest quality of 'Brookfield' apples stored under controlled atmosphere through a multivariate approach. Thus, an experiment with two steps (field and storage) was carried out. The treatments in field were applied with an output of 1,000 L ha–1 of water. The following treatments were tested: Control: only water application; AVG (aminoethoxyvinylglycine): 0.83 kg ha–1 of Retain® applied 30 days before harvest (BH); NAA (naphthalene acetic acid): 40g ha–1of naphthalene acetic acid applied 7 days BH; Ethephon: 2.0 L ha–1 of Ethrel® applied 10 days BH; 1-MCP: 0.625µL L–1 of 1-MCP (1-methylcyclopropene): applied during postharvest (storage); LE (low ethylene): with the allocation of potassium permanganate sachets during postharvest. Fruits treated with AVG in the field showed an opposite response to the fruits with NAA. AVG application followed by another growth regulator (AVG + Ethephon and AVG + NAA) showed an advance in maturation, nearing these fruits to the control treatment, this effect is likely related to the higher ethylene production by these fruits compared to fruits with AVG alone. AVG, 1-MCP and LE kept a similar response on quality maintenance. Ethephon application prevented the negative effect of NAA at harvest, but after storage, the combined NAA + ethephon application increased the physiological disorders, reducing internal quality.