Physiological Response of Mature Green Tomatoes to Treatment with Ethylene at High Temperature

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of ethylene treatment at high temperatures of 30 to 40 °C for up to 72 hours on subsequent ripening-associated processes in mature green ‘Sunny’ and ‘Agriset 761’ tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum). Compared with ethylene-treated fruit at 20 °C, ethylene exposure at 30 or 35 °C stimulated ripening in terms of ethylene biosynthesis and color development, but the ethylene effect was only apparent after transfer to air at 20 °C. There were no negative effects on ripe tomato quality related to ethylene exposure at 30 or 35 °C. However, ethylene production of tomatoes was permanently impaired by ethylene exposure at 40 °C for 48 or 72 hours even after transferring fruit to air at 20 °C; these fruit exhibited slow softening and color development. Our results suggest that tomatoes perceive ethylene at 30 to 35 °C despite impairment of ripening at those temperatures, with the accelerated ripening response becoming apparent only after transferring the tomatoes to air at lower temperature.

The Ethylene Response Factor ERF5 Regulates Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in ‘Zijin’ Mulberry Fruits by Interacting with MYBA and F3H Genes

“…The ethylene content in different mulberry genotypes was determined with a gas chromatograph (GC)-based method, as described previously [ 32 ]. Briefly, a 0.5-mL sample of headspace gas was injected into a portable GC (Photovac 10A10; Perkin Elmer, Waltham, MA) at ambient temperature (23 °C).…”

Color biogenesis data of tomatoes treated with hot-water and high temperature ethylene treatments

“…The batches of HW-treated and control MG tomatoes were then placed in closed chambers and exposed to 100 μL L −1 ethylene in a flow-through system at 20 °C for 48 h (standard ethylene treatment), or at 30 °C for 24, 48 or 72 h, or 35 °C for 24, 48 or 72 h. Ethylene treatment durations and temperatures were previously evaluated by Loayza et al. [5] . The control treatment was defined as AW-treated tomatoes exposed to ethylene at 20 °C for 48 h. Tomatoes that did not show any sign of color change at the conclusion of the ethylene treatment were discarded as having been immature rather than MG at harvest, and each batch was reduced to 30 fruit.…”