Olive oil quality characteristics of 'Mastoides' olives remaining on the tree after ethephon spray.

摘要

Selected Mastoides olive trees were sprayed with 0 (control), 1250 ppm ethephon once (single spray) or 625 ppm three times (every 10 days - repeated spray) during the commercial harvest period to determine its effects on the quality characteristicsof extracted oil. Fruit coloration was advanced by either ethephon treatment. While fruit oil content was not affected by the ethephon spray, an increase in oil titratable acidity and a decrease in oxidative stability and total phenol content was noted in fruits which received a single spray. Fruits that received a repeated spray, had oil quality characteristics similar to the control, but with higher phenolic acid content. Peroxide value increased only slightly in all treatments.