Importance of low ethylene levels to delay senescence of non-climacteric fruit and vegetables

The storage life of a range of nonclimacteric fruit and vegetables was asse ssed during storage at ambient temperature (20 degrees C) and low temperatu re (0-5 degrees C) and ventilation with air containing ethylene over the ra nge <0.005-10 mu L/L, The storage life of Chinese cabbage and orange was fo und to be linearly extended with a logarithmic reduction in ethylene concen tration. Across 23 kinds of produce, there was about a 60% extension in pos tharvest life when stored in <0.005 mu L/L compared with 0.1 mu L/L, the co mmonly considered threshold level for ethylene action. It is suggested that the threshold level of ethylene action on non-climacteric produce is well below 0.005 mu L/L and that the level of ethylene that accumulates around p roduce in all commercial situations is always much greater than 0.005 mu L/ L. Hence, any postharvest action that reduces the accumulation of ethylene around non-climacteric produce during marketing will result in an increase in postharvest life.