ISHS Acta Horticulturae 157: Postharvest Handling of Vegetables
PREVENTION OF ETHYLENE-INDUCED DAMAGE IN BRUSSELS SPROUTS |
| Authors: | H. Hansen, H. Bohling |
| Abstract:
During storage and marketing of Brussels sprouts, ethylene concentrations as low as 0.5 ppm already lead to accelerated quality loss which becomes manifest especially in an early yellowing and coming off of external leaves. The experiments were intended to find measures suitable to prevent the ethylene-induced early quality degradation. Therefore storage atmospheres with different CO2 and O2 contents were used. The ethylene concentrations were 10 ppm in each case. In the controls stored in air without ethylene, the ethylene-absorbing substance "Parafil" was applied in addition. The storage temperature of 8°C corresponded to the temperature prevailing during winter in the local commercial stores for different fruit and vegetable kinds. The experiments have shown that increased CO2 contents above 5% already prevent the above described negative ethylene effects. This result could be used in practice if Brussels sprouts are packed in materials which are only little peremable to gas. The desirable CO2 increase in the package is reached after a short time through respiration of the vegetable. | |
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