575 Effect of O 3 and High CO 2 Application during Cold Storage on Quality of Organic Table Grape (Vitis vinifera L. ‘Italia’) J. Wieczyńska 1,2 , R. Lovino 3 , F. Lamaj 1 , M.F. De Cillis 3 , N. Baser 1 , K. Ismaili 1 , V. Verrastro 1 , L. Tarricone 4 and V. Simeone 1,† 1 MAIB - Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, Valenzano (BA), Italy 2 University of Naples “Parthenope”, Naples, Italy 3 CRB - Bonomo Research Center, Andria (BA), Italy 4 CRA - UTV Research Unit for Viticulture and Enology, Turi, Italy Keywords: shelf-life, ozone, carbon dioxide, Botrytis cinerea, organic farming Abstract The mediterranean climate creates perfect conditions for table grape (Vitis vinifera L.), which makes Italy one of the world’s leaders in grape production and export. However, during postharvest handling and shipping, fruit quality decreases mainly because of development of grey mold (Botrytis cinerea). The growing demand for organic fresh products leads to a search for new alternatives to conventional handling methods in order to prolong shelf-life of organic fruits, which are more vulnerable to fungi infestation as use of fungicides is not permitted. Quality assessment of organic table grapes (‘Italia’) was carried out in order to compare effectiveness of different pre- and postharvest treatments, on shelf-life of table grapes. The evaluation was done through chemical, physical and sensory analysis of grape samples subjected in the field to the treatment with potassium bicarbonate (KHCO 3 ) and during cold storage with ozone (O 3 ) alone or in combination with high carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), in order to control the development and the diffusion of B. cinerea. Organic table grapes, packaged in perforated polypropylene bags, were stored at 0°C and 90-95% RH for 28 days and treated with continuous O 3 (0.8-1.2 µl/L) or combination of CO 2 (30 kPa for 48 h) and O 3 after field treatment of KHCO 3 . Samples were analyzed on weekly basis. The experimental conditions including pre-treatment in the field with KHCO 3 , packaging with perforated polypropylene bags, low temperature (0°C) and high relative humidity (90-95%) combined with CO 2 (30 kPa for 48 h) and O 3 (0.8-1.2 µl/L), have restricted the development of B. cinerea and preserved good commercial quality for 28 days of storage plus 1 day of shelf-life (12°C). The obtained results conclude that appropriate combination of different treatments can help to increase the time of commercialization of fresh organic grapes. INTRODUCTION Quality of table grapes is usually considered as a combination of appearance and flavor during shelf-life. A decrease in quality during postharvest handling of table grapes is generally associated with water loss, browning of the cluster stem and wilting of berries. Other problems are related to the growth of molds such as Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium on stored fruit (Baiano et al., 2007). Consequently table grapes are routinely treated with sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ). The aim of SO 2 treatment is to reduce postharvest decay, caused by Botrytis cinerea (Lichter et al., 2002; Smilanik et al., 1990; Crisosto et al., 2002), but SO 2 treatment may damage the grape berries. Moreover, consumers demand product free of sulfite residues, as it was found harmful to human health and environment (Chervin et al., 2005). It is important to underline that the use of SO 2 is strictly prohibited in organic agriculture (EC 889/2008, EC 834/2007). Other gas treatments may be a commercial alternative to the use of SO 2 generators for keeping quality of table grapes, especially organic one (Artés-Hernández et al., 2003). Ozone is considered a good sanitizer for fresh fruits and vegetables, as it destroys microorganisms through progressive oxidation of vital cellular components (Barboni et al., 2010). Another alternative is the application of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in order to delay senescence, reduce Proc. XI th Int. Controlled and Modified Atmosphere Research Conf. Eds.: M.L. Amodio and G. Colelli Acta Hort. 1071, ISHS 2015