Plant material
Durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.) cvs. Chanee (international code
D123) and Monthong (code D159) trees grew in a commercial orchard
in Chanthaburi province (Eastern Thailand). Flowers were
tagged one week after anthesis, in January. The two cultivars have
the same flowering period. Fruits were severed from the tree starting
10 weeks after anthesis, at 2 week intervals until the fruit was
commercially mature. i.e., week 15 after anthesis in cv. Chanee or
week 17 after anthesis in cv. Monthong. Cut fruit were immediately
brought to a packing house and submerged in aqueous 0.5 mL L1
imazalil solution for 20 s to control fruit rot caused by Phytophthora
palmivora. Fruit were then allowed to dry in the packing house at
ambient temperature (about 28–32 C). Transport to the laboratory
took place in a temperature-controlled truck (25 C). Transport took
about 6 h. Fruit arrived in the laboratory within a day of cutting. In
the laboratory the fruit that was severed at the mature harvest
stage (here called ‘harvested’ fruit) was held at 25 C until they
had reached the ripe stage, i.e. until they were ready for consumption.
The period in the laboratory is called the ‘postharvest phase’.
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