EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND ETHYLENE REMOVING AGENTS ON RESPIRATION OFMATURE-GREEN MUME (PRUNUS MUME SIEB. ET ZUCC.) FRUIT HELD UNDER AIR AND CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERES

Mature-green mume (Japanese apricot, Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc.) fruit from four cultivars (Gojiro, Nankou, Hakuoukoume, Shirakaga) was held under air and 3 similar to 5% O-2.9 similar to 10% CO2 gas stream wit h or without ethylene removing agents (ERA) for 7 days at 25 degrees C to investigate the effect of ERA on respiration. 'Hakuoukoume' fruit was also held under various controlled atmospheres (CA) for 10 days at 10 degrees C and 8 days at 25 degrees C to investigate the influence of storage temperature. 1. Mume fruit exhibited the climacteric respir atory pattern under of air and CA at 25 degrees C, irrespective of ERA . The onset, however, or duration of the climacteric rise was delayed or prolonged with ERA. ERA was more effective under CA than under air. The delay of onset or retardation on duration of the rise with ERA wa s inversely proportional to the logarithmical values of the maximum co ncentrations of residual ethylene. 2. The respiration rate of mume fru it approaching climacteric peak was reduced with CA, but unaffected wi th ERA. 3. The O-2 uptake rate of 'Hakuoukoume' under air at 10 degree s C, was reduced to 1/5 of that at 25 degrees C. The rate was further reduced under various CA, especially under high CO2 concentration at 1 0 degrees C. 4. CA of 3 similar to 5% O-2.9 similar to 10% CO2 combine d with ERA was effective in keeping quality of mume fruit at 25 degree s C. The O-2 consumption during the first 3 days of storage under this condition was reduced to 60 similar to 90% of that under CA without E RA, and to 20 to 40% of that under air without ERA. 5. To market ERA-t reated mume fruit with good quality stored at ambient temperature, the storage period should be limited to within 4 days; and the ERA should be applied at the preclimacteric stage. To store fruit for a longer p eriod, recommend that they be kept under 4 similar to 5% O-2 and 8 sim ilar to 9% CO2 and 10 degrees C.