New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts
Effects of temperature on gas exchange of `Braeburn' apples
QINGMIN CHENG
Centre for Postharvest and Refrigeration Research
Massey University
Private Bag 11 222
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Shanxi Agricultural University
People's Republic of China
NIGEL H. BANKS+
SUE E. NICHOLSON
ANNA M. KINGSLEY
BRUCE R. MACKAY
Centre for Postharvest and Refrigeration Research
Massey University
Private Bag 11 222
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Abstract Gas exchange attributes of fruits affect their
responses to modified atmosphere and surface coating treatments. In this study,
variations in respiration rate, internal partial pressures of O2 and CO2, and
skin permeance to O2 and CO2 associated with storage at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25,
and 30deg.C were characterised in `Braeburn' apples (
Malus domestica
Borkh.) There was an 11-fold difference in respiration rate between fruit
kept at 0 and 30deg.C, although permeance to each of the two respiratory gases
differed only by a factor of two. The differing effects of temperature upon
these two variables was responsible for the depression of internal O2 and
elevation of internal CO2 associated with increase in temperature from 0 to
30deg.C. The magnitude of decline in internal O2 was slightly greater than the
increase in internal CO2 over the temperature range in the experiment. For
apples that were respiring aerobically, and with a respiratory quotient of
unity, this would indicate that the fruit skin had a somewhat higher permeance
to CO2 than to O2. Permeance values for the two respiratory gases were strongly
related but permeance to CO2 exceeded that to O2 for fruit with a low permeance
to O2. This is attributable to the greater ease of diffusion of CO2 through the
cuticle, an effect which became more pronounced as transcuticular diffusion was
facilitated at high temperatures. Given the importance of internal atmosphere
composition in affecting respiration rate and disorder development in apples,
the gas exchange characteristics of `Braeburn' appear likely to be influential
in the outcome of different storage regimes.
Keywords `Braeburn'; gas exchange; internal atmosphere;
permeance; respiration; temperature
+Author to whom correspondence is to be
addressed.
H98028
Received 23 June 1998; accepted 28 August
1998
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