Navel oranges are reportedly susceptible to postharvest peel disorders, including chilling injury and aging/stem end rind breakdown. These and other physiological disorders are sometimes given the common term “navel rind breakdown.” California citrus industry reports on recent incidences of navel rind breakdown suggested that some instances of this disorder were similar to “postharvest pitting,” a disorder that we have observed in a number of Florida citrus varieties. Thus, we decided to define the morphology and etiology of pitting of `Washington' navel orange (Citrus sinensis L.) peel. The disorder was characterized by the collapse of clusters of oil glands and was stimulated by wax application and high temperature (≥13 °C) storage. Internal ethanol levels of waxed fruit stored at high temperature (13 or 21 °C) were significantly higher among fruit that developed pitting than those that did not. The pitting observed in these studies is comparable to previously observed navel orange disorders that have occurred without known cause. Navel orange pitting is morphologically and etiologically distinct from chilling injury and aging/stem end rind breakdown, but is similar to postharvest pitting of Florida citrus fruit.
