Resistance (R) to preloaded gas diffusion was used to follow the evolu
tion of R during cherimoya fruit maturation and senescence. Cherimoya
ethane diffusion was linear and gave an R value of 2048 +/- 167 s.cm-1
for preclimacteric fruit. R increased linearly during maturation, and
significant differences were noted between fruit in which diffusion t
hrough the stem scar was or was not blocked with petroleum jelly.