Abstract: This work was undertaken in order to study the effects of programmed cooling coupled with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) or preservative paper on the storage quality and peel browning of flat peach (cv. ‘Yinggeer’, grown in Xinjiang). The results showed that both treatments significantly inhibited peel browning by inhibiting the increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) content, relative electrolyte leakage (REL), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activity as well as increasing the degree of unsaturation of fatty acids and catalase activity. Path analysis showed that MDA content, REL, and catalase (CAT), POD and POD activities were the most important factors affecting peel browning. Programmed cooling coupled with preservative paper treatment increased fruit firmness, soluble solid content and sucrose content, delayed the decrease in titratable acid level, increased the relative contents of linoleic acid and linolenic acid and reduced the incidence of peel browning, and it maintained flat peach quality better than programmed cooling coupled with 1-MCP treatment.

Key words: flat peach; 1-methylcyclopropene; preservative paper; peel browning; quality