Abstract:This study aims to investigate the effects of seaweed biostimulant (BIO) and packaging materials on ‘Rainier’ sweet cherries produced from the Qinghai Plateau region. The gas composition in bags, fruit quality, physiological disorders, membrane peroxidation, antioxidant substances, antioxidant activity, and sensory quality were analyzed after the fruits were treated with different mass concentrations of BIO combined with polyethylene (PE) bags or modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) during cold storage at 0 ℃ for 4 and 6 weeks. The results showed that after 6 weeks of cold storage with or without BIO treatment, the volume fractions of O2 and CO2 in PE bags were equal to those in the environment, while the MAP treatment demonstrated a reduction in the O2 volume fraction and an elevation in the CO2 volume fraction in bags. Under the treatments of 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 g/L BIO combined with MAP, the volume fractions of O2 and CO2 in the packing were 7.13%~7.30% and 8.67%~9.40%, respectively, after 6 weeks of cold storage, which meant that the treatments inhibited the respiration of fruits. Additionally, the combinations of 2.5 g/L BIO combined with MAP significantly delayed the declines in fruit firmness, stem pull force, and titratable acids, inhibited the increases in weight loss, decay rate, stem browning rate, surface pitting index, and malondialdehyde level, and maintained high levels of total phenols and total flavonoids as well as high antioxidant activities and high sensory characteristics including texture, acidity, sweetness, and flavor during 6 weeks of cold storage. To effectively prolong the storage life and maintain the quality of ‘Rainier’ sweet cherries. The postharvest fruits should be immediately soaked in 0 ℃ distilled water containing 2.5 g/L BIO, packed with MAP, and sold within 6 weeks. The cherries treated according to this protocol had high storage quality, antioxidant properties, and sensory quality.
