Ethylene-Induced Changes in Appearance and Hormone Content of Florida Grown Cabbage

Abstract

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. capitata), freshly harvested and market-trimmed in Florida, was stored for 5 wk at 1 C ± 0.5 C in air containing 0.04, 1, 10 and 100 ppm ethylene. At the highest two ethylene concentrations, market quality was reduced due to loss of external green color and extensive leaf abscission. Similar external changes were seen in cabbage reported to have been stored with apples. Hormonal changes associated with these high ethylene concentrations were disappearance of an abscisic acid-type inhibitor and accumulation of auxins at the apical region.

Ethylene-induced Senescence and Physiological Disorders in Harvested Horticultural Crops

“…Ethylene accelerates chlorophyll degradation and induces yellowing of green tissues, thus reducing market quality of leafy, floral, and immature-fruit vegetables and foliage orna mentals. Exposure of cabbage to 10 or 100 ppm C2H4 during hold ing at 1°C for 5 weeks resulted in loss of greeness and extensive leaf abscission (32), but loss of greenness in cabbage can occur at even lower C2H4 levels (1 to 5 ppm) in some cultivars (15,16). Toivonen et al (47) reported that 4 ppm C2H4 increased the rates of deterioration and yellowing in cabbage, brussels sprouts, broc coli, and cauliflower kept in air at 1°C.…”

Compatability of Cabbage, Carrots, and Apples in Low Pressure Storage1

“…Ancymidol applied as either a foliar spray or an aqueous drench has provided good height control for many floricultural crops (2,3,5,7,11,12,15,16). Substrate drenches are often the preferred method of application, since they are more pre cise and their effectiveness is less influenced by environmental factors than foliar sprays (14). Johnson (6) applied ancymidol as an aqueous drench to chrysanthemums grown in a 1 soil: 1 sand: 1 peat (by vol) medium and reported that as the con centration of ancymidol increased plant height decreased with a proportional increase in stem diameter.…”

“…Ethylene produced by apples or other sources causes senes cence and yellowing of leaves of cabbage (14) and induces formation of bitter flavors in carrots through production of isocoumarin (4). The recommended storage temperature for apples, cabbage and carrots is 0°C, and the recommended range of relative humidity (RH) for carrots and cabbage is somewhat higher than for apples, although the recommendations overlap at 90% relative humidity (13).…”