Watercore is a typical physiological disorder of apples and can normally induce the development of related internal disorders during storage. The aim of this study was to investigate the disappearance of watercore, the development of internal storage disorders (ISD) and the maintenance of quality traits of ‘Cox Orange Pippin’ apple during 6 months storage at 3 °C (±0.3 °C) under the following storage conditions: Regular air (RA); rapid storage at 1.5 kPa O₂ plus 1.5 kPa CO₂; 20 d pre-storage in air at 10 °C followed by storage at 1.5 kPa O₂ plus 1.5 kPa CO₂; 20 d delayed in the pull down of oxygen partial pressure (p) at 3 °C followed by storage at 1.5 kPa O₂ plus 1.5 kPa CO₂; and the rapid storage at 3.0 kPa O₂ plus <0.2 kPa CO₂. At storage end, watercore disappeared faster in RA-stored fruit; however, these fruit were softer, yellower and lower in acidity and showed the highest ISD index (40.0). The rapid storage under 1.5 kPa O₂ plus 1.5 kPa CO₂ resulted in fruit without ISD, higher firmness, higher acidity, greener skin colour, and a watercore index of 7.5 at storage end. Delayed CA-stored fruit did not keep satisfactory quality traits, and resulted in high watercore (7.6) and ISD indexes (6.9). A similar behaviour to the delayed CA-stored fruit, was observed in apple rapid stored at 3.0 kPa O₂ plus <0.2 kPa CO₂ and in fruit subjected to 20 d pre-storage in air at 10 °C. The fruit specific weight decreased from 0.89 at harvest time to 0.82 at storage end, but no significant differences were observed between treatments. A positive correlation (r = 0.91) was found between the fruit specific weight and the severity of watercore. In conclusion, the rapid storage of severe watercored ‘Cox Orange Pippin’ apple at 1.5 kPa O₂ plus 1.5 kPa CO₂ maintained higher firmness, higher acidity and greener skin colour, without occurrence of ISD after 6 months’ storage.

水核是苹果的典型生理性疾病，在储存过程中通常可引起相关内部疾病的发展。这项研究的目的是调查在3°C（±0.3°C）下在6°C下储存6个月后水核心的消失，内部存储障碍（ISD）的发展以及'Cox Orange Pippin'苹果品质特征的维持情况。以下储存条件：常规空气（RA）；在1.5 kPa O ₂加1.5 kPa CO _2的条件下快速储存；在10°C的空气中预存储20天，然后在1.5 kPa O ₂加1.5 kPa CO _2下存储；在3°C下将氧分压（p）降低拉延20 d，然后在1.5 kPa O ₂和1.5 kPa CO下储存₂ ; 并在3.0 kPa O ₂加<0.2 kPa CO _2的条件下快速存储。在贮藏结束时，RA贮藏的果实中水核消失得更快。但是，这些果实较软，变黄且酸度较低，并显示出最高的ISD指数（40.0）。在1.5 kPa O ₂加上1.5 kPa CO _2的条件下快速储存，结果是没有ISD的果实，更高的硬度，更高的酸度，更绿色的皮肤颜色以及在储存结束时的水核心指数为7.5。CA延迟贮藏的果实不能保持令人满意的品质性状，并导致较高的水核（7.6）和ISD指数（6.9）。在以3.0 kPa O ₂加<0.2 kPa CO ₂快速存储的苹果中观察到了与延迟CA存储水果相似的行为。以及在10°C的空气中经过20 d预存储的水果中。果实的比重从收获时的0.89下降到存储结束时的0.82，但在处理之间未观察到显着差异。在果实的比重和水芯严重程度之间发现正相关（r = 0.91）。总之，在1.5 kPa O ₂加1.5 kPa CO ₂的条件下快速贮藏重水芯'Cox Orange Pippin'苹果可以保持较高的硬度，较高的酸度和较绿色的皮肤，在储存6个月后没有发生ISD。