Influence of Temperature on the Storage Duration of Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)

This study investigated the postharvest storage performance of three commercial head cabbage hybrids (Bravo F1, Excalibur F1 and Discos F1) and one open-pollinated cultivar (Varaždinski) under three storage temperature regimes (2°C, 4°C and 7°C) at a constant relative air humidity of 90%. The experiment was conducted using a two-factor factorial design, with genotype and storage temperature as the main factors, and each treatment replicated eight times (96 experimental units in total). Storage duration, defined as the number of days from the beginning of storage until the cabbage head no longer met market quality standards, was used as the primary evaluation parameter. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed highly significant effects of genotype (F = 1148.15), storage temperature (F = 542.74) and their interaction (F = 83.29) on storage longevity. Genotype accounted for the largest share of the total treatment variation (approximately 67%), confirming the dominant role of genetic background in determining postharvest performance. Bravo F1 and Excalibur F1 achieved the longest storage durations under optimal low-temperature conditions (99.5 and 98.7 days at 2°C, respectively), while Discos F1 showed the shortest and most temperature-sensitive storage life. The Varaždinski cultivar demonstrated notable stability at moderately elevated temperatures. These results highlight the necessity of combining appropriate genotype selection with precise cold-storage management to maximize postharvest quality and minimize economic losses in commercial cabbage production.