ISHS Acta Horticulturae 116: Symposium on Postharvest Handling of Vegetables
INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE LEVEL ON RESPIRATORY INTENSITY IN THE MAIN VEGETABLES VARIETIES |
| Author: | I. Burzo |
| Abstract:
Investigations concerning the physiological and biochemical processes occurring in stored vegetables have been intensified in the last years together with the development of the investigation means. Numerous researches already done, pointed out that oxidative processes in vegetables and fruits are reflected by the respiratory process intensity, representing an optimum test in estimating maturity degree (Bonner and Varner, 1965) and, at the same time, a good indicator for the decay rate of the main energetic components (e.g. proteins, etc.). Ghislair (1963) established that temperature lowering by 10°C determined the reduction of respiratory intensity of vegetables by about 2.5 times, and Burzo (1979) has determined the respiratory intensity of the main vegetable varieties kept at different temperature levels. Data provided by the literature dealing with special subjects, regarding respiratory process intensity, are not sufficient and need to be completed with aspects relating to the influence of temperature on the alteration of the intensity of the said process in different vegetable varieties. Investigations carried out between 1976–1979 with 18 varieties of vegetables, which were harvested at the right moment for valorizing, seemed to be most significant. Respiratory intensity was determined by measuring CO2 quantity released by a certain product quantity, per time unit, this ratio being expressed in mg CO2 (kg) hour. These determinations were done at various temperature levels: 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20°C. | |
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