Fruit Respiration and Ethylene Production.

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Abstract
Fourteen species of fruits of tropical, subtropical, and temperate climatic zones were investigated for the relationship between ethylene production and respiration. The occurrence of the climacteric rise in CO2 production was established in several species and confirmed in others. The fruits with a marked climacteric showed appreciable to high rates of ethylene production with the mango as the sole exception. The ratio of ethylene evolution to CO2 output was the highest for the apple, followed by the sapote, pear, cherimoya, peach, papaya, feijoa, avocado, persimmon, and banana. Oranges and lemons exhibited no climacteric in air and produced no ethylene. The hypothesis was advanced that native ethylene is a product of the ripening process rather than a causal agent.