The study of apple damage mechanisms is key to improving post-harvest apple treatment techniques, and the evolution pattern of damaged tissue is fundamental to the study of apple damage mechanisms. In the study, 'Red Delicious' apples were used to explore the relationship between damage and time. A cell death zone was found in the pulp of the damaged tissue after the apple had been bruised. The tissue damage was centered in the cell death zone and developed laterally, with the width of the damage increasing with injury time. The extent of tissue damage in the core and pericarpal directions varied. About 60% of the damaged tissue developed in the core direction and 40% in the pericarpal direction, and the damage ratios in both directions remained consistent throughout the injury. The depth of damage and the rate of damage were influenced by the impact force size and the difference in the size of the damaged part of the apple, but the damage development pattern was independent of the impact force size and the difference in the damaged part. The maximum damage rate was reached at about 30 min, and the depth of damage was stabilized at about 72 min. By studying the evolution pattern of the damaged tissue of the bruised 'Red Delicious' apple, it provides the research idea and theoretical basis for enhancing the prediction accuracy and robustness of early stage damage in apples.
Keywords: cell death zone; evolution pattern; mechanical damage.