Abstract:In order to elucidate the synergistic preservation mechanism of slow-release 1-methylcyclopropene（1-MCP）and modified atmosphere packaging（MAP）for sweet cherries，five sweet cherry cultivars，including 'Rainer'，'Bing'，'Lapins'，'Skeena'，and 'Sweetheart'，were used as test materials to investigate the effects of slow-release 1-MCP combined with MAP during cold storage for 7 d and 30 d at 0 ℃ and 3 d shelf life at 20 ℃.Results showed that during cold storage and shelf life，the ethylene production rate from the stems was significantly higher than that from the fruit.Compared to MAP alone，ethylene production from the stem was completely inhibited in MAP+1-MCP treatments.Moreover，MAP+1-MCP reduced O2 consumption in'Rainer'，'Bing'，'Lapins'，and'Skeena'cherries during cold storage and shelf life.Higher fruit firmness was retained in the MAP+1-MCP-treated'Rainier'（322.73 g/mm），'Bing'（278.00 g/mm），'Skeena'（458.60 g/mm），and 'Sweetheart'（337.27 g/mm）sweet cherries after 30 d of cold storage.Although soluble solids content and fruit decay incidence were not affected by MAP+1-MCP，the incidence of stem browning and fruit surface pitting was significantly suppressed during long-and short-term cold storage and shelf life.Therefore，MAP combined with slow-release 1-MCP further inhibited fruit respiration by inhibiting ethylene production from the stem and regulating the gas components in the bag，thereby reducing physiological disorders during transportation and shelf life and maintaining high fruit quality.