** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** 'HONEYCRISP' APPLE IS A HIGHLY PROFIT CULTIVAR BECAUSE OF ITS FLAVOR AND TEXTURE. HOWEVER, THE CULTIVAR IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO A WIDE RANGE OF PHYSIOLOGICAL DISORDERS DURING STORAGE AND SHELF LIFE. THE MOST IMPORTANT ARE BITTER PIT, WHICH IS CONSIDERED A WARM TEMPERATURE STORAGE DISORDER, AND SOFT SCALD WHICH IS A CHILLING INJURY. THE RECOMMENDATION FOR POSTHARVEST MANAGEMENT OF THIS CULTIVAR IS TO CONDITION FRUIT AT 10 ?C FOR 1 WEEK BEFORE TRANSFERRING THEM TO 3 C TO AVOID THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOFT SCALD. HOWEVER, THE CONDITIONING TREATMENT EXACERBATES BITTER PIT WITH ASSOCIATED ECONOMIC LOSSES. WE HAVE OBSERVED A STRONG NEGATIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN SOFT SCALD AND BITTER PIT DEVELOPMENT OVER SEVERAL YEARS. THE PHYSIOLOGY AND ETIOLOGY BEHIND THIS ASSOCIATION IS NOT WELL UNDERSTOOD. OUR HYPOTHESIS IS THAT FRUIT ARE EITHER SUSCEPTIBLE TO BITTER PIT OR SOFT SCALD, AND IN SOME EXCEPTIONS TO THE TWO DISORDERS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT PRE AND POSTHARVEST FACTORS ON BITTER PIT AND SOFT SCALD SUSCEPTIBILITY. THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT FACTORS ON THE POSTHARVEST PHYSIOLOGICAL DISORDER DEVELOPMENT IN 'THE CULTIVAR WILL BE INVESTIGATED IN RELATION TO ROOTSTOCK CULTIVAR, NUTRITIONAL AND HORMONAL BALANCE OF THE FRUIT DURING FRUIT DEVELOPMENT, AT HARVEST, AND DURING STORAGE. THE RESULTS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW CULTIVARS WITH RESISTANCE TO BOTH DISORDERS. OUR RESULTS WILL HELP THE APPLE INDUSTRY MANGE THE TWO DISORDERS DURING STORAGE TO REDUCE THE TOTAL LOSS OF APPLES THROUGHOUT THE SUPPLY CHAIN AND THEREBY IMPROVE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION.