Effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on reducing postharvest decay in tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP as SmartFresh™ technology), an ethylene antagonist, was evaluated for affecting postharvest decay caused by Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, and Fusarium spp. on ‘Quality 23’ and ‘Seminis 35’ tomatoes at green or pink stages. Fruit with natural or artificial infection were subjected to 1-MCP at 0.0 μL L−1, 0.6 μL L−1 for 12 h, and 1.0 μL L−1 for 6 h. After 31–42 d storage, disease incidence and severity of individual diseases in 1-MCP treated fruit was significantly reduced compared with that of the untreated controls, except in one inoculated test for ‘Quality 23’ where severity of Alternaria rot in 1.0 μL L−1 treated fruit were significantly higher than that of the untreated control. Fruit treated with 1-MCP at 1.0 L−1 for 6 h also had significantly higher incidence of Alternaria rot in the inoculated ‘Quality 23’ and in the non-inoculated ‘Seminis 35’ compared with the fruit treated with 1-MCP at 0.6 μL L−1 for 12 h. The results of this study indicate that 1-MCP can reduce postharvest decay within a certain storage period.

► Reduced tomato decay caused by Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, and Fusarium spp. was observed with use of 1-MCP.
► Control efficacy was shown on cultivars ‘Quality 23’ and ‘Seminis 35’ at green or pink stages.
► Both cumulative incidence and severity of all three diseases were reduced with 1-MCP treatments.