GAMMA IRRADIATION AS A MITIGATION TREATMENT ON STORAGE QUALITY OF PLUMS

Export of fruit from South Africa to certain countries, such as the USA, requires a mandatory coldsterilisation period of 22 days at -0.55°C or below, to disinfest fruit from phytosanitary pests, such as Mediterranean fruit fly. Since certain plum cultivars require a dual-temperature regime to maintain postharvest quality during cold storage, it is not possible to export such cultivars to markets with strict phytosanitary regulations.