Stanich, K., Cliff, M. A., Hampson, C. R. and Toivonen, P. M. A. 2014. Shelf-life and sensory assessments reveal the effects of storage treatments with 1-methylcyclopropene on new and established apples. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 1427Á1439. This research used shelf-life and sensory assessments to explore the influence of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on four apples (Aurora, Fuji, Nicola TM , Salish TM ). Maturity (internal ethylene concentration, starch clearing index), quality (soluble solids,

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... atable acidity, firmness) and sensory determinations were conducted on fruit that had undergone air (AIR) or controlled atmosphere (CA) storage treatments with and without 1-MCP. Trained panelists evaluated apples, along with industry standards (Gala, McIntosh and either Fuji or Ambrosia), for eight attributes (crispness, hardness, juiciness, skin toughness, sweetness, tartness, sweetÁtart balance and flavour). Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and principal component analyses (PCA) to compare the treatment and cultivar responses. Cultivars responded very differently to CA and 1-MCP. Fruit from AIR with 1-MCP were very similar to CA fruit without 1-MCP; further improvements were not observed when 1-MCP was applied to CA fruit. PCA bi-plots of the shelf-life and sensory assessments revealed that treated Salish TM fruits were more similar to one another than to cultivars from other treatments. This work successfully documented the unique changes associated with the use of 1-MCP on new and established apple cultivars. It will assist industry in applying appropriate storage practices for new and established apple cultivars.