Interannual Variability in Apricot Quality: Role of Calcium and Postharvest Treatments During Cold Storage and Shelf Life

Extending the postharvest life of apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.) while maintaining their quality is a significant challenge due to their perishability, climacteric ripening, and susceptibility to mechanical injury. This study evaluated the effects of preharvest calcium (Ca) application and postharvest treatments, including modified-atmosphere packaging (MAP) and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), on apricot quality during storage, carried out in two production years (2016 and 2017) under contrasting climatic conditions. Apricot fruits, cv. ‘Buda’, were treated with Ca before harvest and subjected to MAP or 1-MCP postharvest treatment. Quality parameters, including firmness, color, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), carotenoids, phenols, respiration rate, and sensory attributes, were analyzed over 15 days of cold storage followed by 3 days of shelf life (15 + 3). The growing season significantly influenced all measured parameters. Fruits harvested in 2017 had double the initial firmness compared to those from 2016 (50.03 N vs. 24.3 N), with higher sweetness and acidity scores. Ca treatment effectively reduced firmness loss by 30% in 2016, particularly beneficial under that year’s wetter conditions, but showed limited impact in the drier 2017 season. MAP successfully delayed ripening and maintained higher acidity levels across both years compared to controls. While 1-MCP treatment preserved fruit firmness effectively, it reduced sweetness perception by 37–59% and limited aroma development, with effects most pronounced in 2017. Sensory evaluation revealed no negative impacts of the applied treatments on overall taste acceptance, with Ca-treated fruits scoring significantly higher for sweetness than controls. The combination of preharvest Ca and postharvest treatments showed potential for extending apricots’ shelf life, but their efficacy was highly dependent on yearly climatic variability. These findings demonstrate that treatment effectiveness varies substantially between years, with Ca applications providing greater benefits in wet years, while 1-MCP and MAP showed more a consistent performance across varying climatic conditions. Therefore, customized and specifically tailored pre- and postharvest protocols are greatly needed to maintain the fruit quality and achieve targeted storage outcomes.