Understanding ‘Cripps Red’ Apples: Part 1—Impact of Harvest Maturity, Pre-Treatments, and Storage Conditions on Scald Development

Abstract The susceptibility of ‘Cripps Red’ apples to physiological disorders has been under-reported due to its assumed cultivar versatility and resilience. This study assessed the impact of harvest maturity, chemical pre-treatments, and storage regimes on the development of scalds and changes in quality for ‘Cripps Red’ apples. Apples were harvested at commercial pre-optimal (H1), optimal (H2), and post-optimal (H3) maturity stages, and were either left untreated (control) or exposed to 1‑methylcyclopropene (1-MCP; SmartFresh®). Fruit samples were stored at ambient (≈18 °C, to simulate conditions of small-holder producers), and regular atmosphere (RA) at ≈1 °C for 14 weeks. 1‑MCP under RA significantly delayed superficial scald while maintaining higher total soluble solids (TSS), and reduced respiration rate (RRCO 2 ), but was associated with the development of leather blotch ( p ≤ 0.05). Overall, H2 demonstrated the best overall quality and lowest disorder incidence for 14 weeks at ≈1 °C. H2 fruit stored under ambient conditions exhibited ≤ 1% scald incidence until week 6. ‘Cripps Red’ apples demonstrated resilience and retained desired quality under ambient storage for 4 weeks. Three distinct types of disorder (superficial scald, soft scald, and leather blotch) were identified under these handling conditions.