Ethylene Production and Respiration of Postharvest Acid Citrus Fruits and Wase Satsuma Mandarin Fruit

Ethylene production and respiratory rate were examined in acid citrus fruits such as yuzu, seedless yuzu and daidai, and wase satsuma mandarin. A large amount of ethylene was produced from four varieties of citrus fruits harvested from May to July but not after September. A rise in ethylene production did not always coincide with a rise in respiratory rate. Excised tissues of fruits contained the ability of ethylene production throughout the developmental stages. The endogenous ethylene level at the ripening stage, reached the maximum when the color changed from green to yellow.