Respiration of Cucumber Fruits Associated with Physiological Injury at Chilling Temperatures.

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The respiratory responses of cucumbers to chilling and non-chilling temperature indicates that the course and rate of metabolism was changed as a result of chilling injury. At non-chilling temperature, the rate of CO2 production decreased with duration of storage, whereas at chilling temperature the rate increased with time to a plateau that was followed by a decline. The increasing rate occurred at the same time as the onset and development of chilling injury, and the decline occurred at the time of general death of the tissue. The respiration rate and drift at a temperature of 25[degree]C following chilling treatments could be used as a rough index to the severity of the treatment. At all temperatures within the non-chilling range, cucumbers produced essentially the same total amount of CO2 (20 g/kg of fruit) during their storage life; but at chilling temperature lesser amounts were produced. The R.Q. of fruits held at a non-chilling temperature of 15[degree]C were near unity, whereas at chilling temperatures the quotients were less than unity during the time of the onset and development of chilling injury. Quotients obtained with tissue slices at 0[degree]C agree with those of intact fruit.