Promotion of ripening of `Gebhard' red `d'Anjou' pears by treatment with ethylene
Paul M. Chen, Diane M. Varga and Timothy J. Facteau
Postharvest Biology and Technology Vol: 12 Issue: 3 Pages: 213-220.
1997
บทคัดย่อ
Pears (Pyrus communis L., `d'Anjou'), `Gebhard' red strain, harvested
at commercial maturity with flesh firmness (FF) of 64.5 N, did not ripen
normally at 20°C even though the chilling requirement had been met
by storage at -1°C. Treating fruit with 100 
l
l-1 ethylene at 20°C for 3 days, followed by 14
days of a simulated transit period at -1°C, induced normal ripening at
20°C,
with a climacteric-like rise in ethylene production, fruit softening, and reduction
of extractable juice. Fruit did not ripen under these conditions without the
ethylene treatment. A 3 day treatment with 100 l
l-1 ethylene readily induced pulp tissue to convert
1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) to ethylene, regardless of the
length of chilling. Tissue conversion of ACC to ethylene was also induced by
holding fruit at -1°C for 2 months or longer. ACC synthase activity was
induced only by ethylene treatment, and did not increase until the fruit had
been transferred to 20°C for 3 days. Promotion of normal ripening in
`Gebhard' red `d'Anjou' pears by ethylene treatment could be primarily
attributed to the coordinate induction of ACC to ethylene conversion and ACC
synthase, followed by increasing ACC synthase activity at 20°C.