Persimmon Giombo is an astringent cultivar for its high soluble tannins content and requires treatment for deastringency for its consumption. Storage at low temperatures is used to increase the commercialization period. However, recent studies indicate that this cultivar is sensitive to chilling injury.
Scientists at the University of São Paulo (Brazil) have investigated the effect of storage at 1, 5 and 10 °C on the development of chilling injury in Giombo persimmon treated with ethanol and 1-MCP. Fruits control, treatment with 1.70 mL ethanol/Kg/12 h, and 1.70 mL ethanol/Kg/12 h + 1000 nL 1-MCP/L/12 h were stored at 1, 5 and 10 °C, removed from cold storage after 15, 25 and 35 days, and shelf-life period of 5 days at 22 °C.
"The results showed that storage temperature of 5°C induced chilling injury, and 10°C allowed only a short storage period due to acceleration of maturation. The symptoms occurring in response to chilling injury in this cultivar are a drastic reduction of pulp firmness, especially after removal of the cold temperatures and during the shelf life at 22°C, followed by gelling and structural alteration of the cell mesocarp. While it was not possible to correlate the color index with the incidence of chilling injury. Soluble solids were not affected by temperature, but were reduced by deastringency treatment. 1-MCP decreases the symptoms of chilling injury in deastringency fruits with ethanol and stored at 5°C and 10°C. Study suggests that to avoid chilling injury and to extend the conservation period of Giombo persimmon, storage at 1°C combined with 1-MCP is recommended."
Source: Magda Andréia Tessmer, Beatriz Appezzato-da-Glória, Ricardo Alfredo Kluge, 'Evaluation of storage temperatures to astringency ‘Giombo’ persimmon: Storage at 1 °C combined with 1-MCP is recommended to alleviate chilling injury', 2019, Scientia Horticulturae, Vol. 257, 108675.