Changes during low‐oxygen storage in the effects of ethylene on induction of ethylene synthesis and stimulation of respiration of ‘Gloster 69’ apples

Abstract

The ability of ethylene to stimulate respiration and advance the onset of rapid ethylene production was investigated at different times during storage of ‘Gloster 69’ apples in 2 kPa O2 at 1.5–3.5°C. Ethylene stimulated respiration in apples at 15°C immediately after harvest; maximal rates were recorded at 10–1000 μl I−1 but attainment of these rates was delayed after low O2 storage until day 3 of treatment at 15°C. The onset of rapid ethylene production at 15°C occurred later in non‐ethylene‐treated apples after storage than after harvest. Ethylene production was induced in some apples during ethylene treatment for 3 or 6 days; in others it was induced about 20 days after treatment, but a proportion of the fruit showed no induction in the 45‐day duration of experiments. An ethylene treatment at 10 μl I−1 led to a near maximal increase in the frequency of induction of ethylene production at all times. After storage apples were mainly induced during treatment or not induced, whereas after harvest induction after treatment was more frequent. The presence of 2000 μl l−1 norbornadiene during ethylene treatment inhibited the stimulation of respiration and the induction of ethylene production; this inhibition was only partly reversed by ethylene at 1000 μl l−1 the experiments suggest that receptors for ethylene were present at all stages but that response capacity changed during storage.