EFFECTS OF HARVEST TIME DURING THE DAY AN D TEMPERATURE ON THE RESPIRATION RATES OF SHIITAKE (LENTINUS-EDODES SING)

The temperatures of shii-take (Lentinus edodes Sing.) , a kind of mush room, harvested at various times of the day and their postharvest resp iration rates were measured. The relationship between the two factors are discussed with respect to maintaining their quality and freshness. 1. Temperatures of shii-take at harvest fluctuated with the ambient a ir temperature, the former always being lower than the latter. The dif ferences between the two temperature were not constant; the difference s in the morning being larger than those measured in the afternoon or evening. 2. Temperature of shii-take initially increased after being t ransferred into a constant-temperature incubator but then decreased an d gradually reached an equilibrium with the ambient temperature. 3. Th e initial respiration rates of shii-take harvested at various times of the day were not constant; the respiration rates decreased during the experiment. 4. The postharvest respiration rate of shii-take tended t o be faster when harvest temperature was high. These results show that it is advisable to harvest shii-take when the temperature is low and the respiration rate slow to extend their quality and shelf-life.