Title: 239 RESPONSE OF KIWIFRUIT SOFTENING TO ETHYLENE APPLICATION
Abstract:During the 1993 and 1994 seasons, the response of Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa var. Hayward) flesh softening to exogenous ethylene applications was studied on fruit collected weekly from cold storag...During the 1993 and 1994 seasons, the response of Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa var. Hayward) flesh softening to exogenous ethylene applications was studied on fruit collected weekly from cold storage and directly from the vines. Fruit samples from both sources, were induced to ripen with and without ethylene preconditioning treatment (10 ppm, 24h at 0C). During the first 3 weeks of fruit collection, flesh firmness decreased and SSC accumulation increased faster in ethylene treated kiwifruit than in the untreated. After this period, when kiwifruit had close to 9 pounds flesh firmness, ethylene treated and untreated kiwifruit softened at the same rate. Ethylene treatment did not enhance kiwifruit CO 2 and ethylene production except at the first harvest time. Furthermore, ethylene treated kiwifruit did not have higher respiration and ethylene rates than untreated kiwifruit when measured at 0, 5 and 20C.Read More