Physical and chemical changes in the ripening of deciduous fruits

Abstract

does not appear. First page follows. Interest on the part of many growers, shippers and others in determining the most satisfactory degree of maturity of deciduous fruits for eastern shipment has led to considerable investigational work in this field. Two publications, previously issued by the California Agricultural Experiment Station(2)(3) give the results of maturity studies with plums and the Bartlett pear. Recommendations were included for the harvesting of these fruits. The purpose of this publication is not to present additional maturity standards but rather to make available additional data on the ripening changes which take place in the above-mentioned fruits and to present similar data on apricots, peaches, and apples. The discussion includes the more familiar physical and chemical changes which occur during the period of fruit maturity and ripening, together with the results secured in the ripening of fruit by the use of ethylene gas. Increase in Size Complete growth records, such as determined by Hendrickson and Veihmeyer(9) for peaches, and by Lilleland(20) for apricots, were considered nonessential to a study of ripening changes. However, as certain ripening changes take place previous to the complete sizing of the fruit, growth measurements were taken during the later stages of fruit development.