This experiment was conducted to examine the effects of a short-term treatment of high pressure $CO_2$ on shelf-life of strawberry fruit. A short-term treatment (12 hr) of 100% $CO_2$ resulted in the increase of fruit firmness up to 71.9% compared to that at harvest. The firmness of $CO_2$ treated fruit remained a significantly higher than that of control (air) up to 15 days. The alteration of pectic polymers was observed by $CO_2$ treatment such as an increase of EDTA soluble pectins and decrease of water soluble ones. The $CO_2$ treatment resulted in the increase of total amount of wall bound calcium. Pectate lyase activity, an important agent of strawberry fruit softening, was also significantly reduced by $CO_2$ treatment. Contents of soluble solids and acids of $CO_2$ treated fruit were higher than those of control fruit. Short-term treatment of high pressure $CO_2$ affected shelf-life through firmness increase whereas the visual quality and decay incidence of strawberry fruit were not affected.

This experiment examined the effects of preharvest Ca-chitosan spraying and short-term post-harvest treatment with high pCO(2) on the shelf-life of 'Seolhyang' strawberry fruit. Fruit firmness decreased when harvested late in the season and was little affected by Ca-chitosan spray treatments. Short-term treatment with high pCO(2) after harvest, however, significantly increased fruit firmness regardless of preharvest treatment The combined treatment of Ca-chitosan spray and high pCO(2) led to an additional increase in shelf-life through delay of skin disorder, fruit decay incidence and firmness loss during simulated marketing. The residual effects of both treatments, however, were reduced when fruit were harvested late in the season. Fruit firmness was more affected by high pCO(2) treatment whereas decay and visual quality were affected by preharvest spraying with Ca-chitosan. Although more research is required to determine the optimum concentration of calcium and chitosan, and the optimal spray interval, our results show that the combined treatment of preharvest Ca-chitosan spray and postharvest high pCO(2) is effective in improving strawberry fruit shelf-life by increasing firmness and delaying decay.