OCCURRENCE OF THE CLIMACTERIC PATTERN OF RESPIRATION IN MINIATURE GOLDEN APPLE (SPONDIAS CYTHEREA) FRUIT

Miniature golden apple fruit (Spondias cytherea) were harvested at three stages of maturity (immature, mature-green and breaker stages) and stored at 9°C, 21°C and 31°C for up to 14 days. Throughout storage, fruit were evaluated for carbon dioxide (C02) and ethylene (C2H4) production rates. For fruit at all three maturity stages stored at 9°C, respiration rates remained very low throughout storage increasing rapidly beyond 12 days at which time both senescence and chilling injury symptoms were well established. For fruit stored at 21°C and 31°C, respiration rates increased over time with senescence occurring in immature fruit and ripening occurring in mature-green and turning fruit. Ethylene was only detected at 21°C and 31°C and increased over time in fruit at all maturity stages. The respiratory pattern of the miniature golden apple was typical of a climacteric fruit. In immature fruit the rise in the rate of ethylene production occurred beyond 4 days and coincided with the climacteric rise of respiration and external evidence of senescence. In mature-green and turning fruit the rise in the rate of ethylene production occurred beyond days 5 and 4 respectively and also coincided with increased respiration rates