Effects of storage temperature and wax coating on ethylene production, respiration and shelf-life in cherimoya fruit

Respiration and ethylene production rates of cherimoya fruit were measured under various temperature regimes. The highest ethylene production was observed at 15degreesC and 20degreesC; it was restricted at 30degreesC and 35degreesC in 'Libby' fruit. The numbers of days required for fruit ripening at 15 degreesC and 20degreesC were 9 - 11 days and 8 days, respectively. The optimum ripening temperature for cherimoya fruit ranged from 15 to 20degreesC. To determine the optimum storage period, fruit from five cultivars of cherimoya were initially stored at 10degreesC for 20 days and then ripened at 20degreesC. 'Bay Ott' and 'Big Sister' ripened normally, while 'Chaffey', 'El Bumpo' and 'Mariella' turned brown and their quality declined. It was found that 'Bay Ott' and 'Big Sister' were more resistant to chilling injury than other cherimoya cultivars. Coating the fruit with wax revealed that it reduced respiration and ethylene production of the fruit, and extended the shelf life by 5 days, with less weight loss and minimal browning.