Year: 1990
Type: article
Abstract: Four cultivars of melons (Cucumis melo L.) were harvested at different ages. Sugar content, the rate of CO2 and C2H4 evolution, and flesh firmness were measured.1. Fruits of var. reticulatus Naud. (‘Earl′s Favourite’ and ‘IW-57’) showed climacteric rise in respiration. ‘IW-57’ especially, showed extremely high rate of CO2 and C2H4 evolution. ‘Ginsen’ (var. acidulus Naud.) and ‘IW-57’ which can not be stored for a long time, showed higher respiration rates than ‘Hony Dew’ (var. inodorus Naud.) and ‘Earl′s Favourite’.2. Ethylene treatment (1, 000ppm, 20h) reduced flesh firmness. However, the effects were slight in ‘Ginsen’ and in the climacteric phase of ‘Earl′s Favourite’ and ‘IW-57’.3. Soluble solid contents (SSC) of ‘Honey Dew’ were high at the early stages of development and did not increase much at the period of 40 to 55 days after anthesis; sucrose content was relatively low at harvest even at the commercial harvesting stages. However, sucrose content increased after harvest, especially with ethylene treatment. In other cultivars, SSC and sucrose content increased rapidly just before the commercial harvesting stages. Fruit quality of ‘Earl′s Favourite’ decreased with the decrease of SSC and total sugar contents (TSC) after harvest.4. In ‘Honey Dew’ fruits, the relationship between SSC and TSC was low just after harvest but ethylene-treated fruits showed a high relationship. In other cultivars, the relationships between SSC and TSC were high. However, the values of SSC and TSC were not equal and SSC always showed relatively higher values than TSC.
DOI: 10.2503/jjshs.58.999
Authors: Yuichi YOSHIDA, Michio OHI, Kohei FUJIMOTO
Institutions: Kagawa University, Kyoto University, Shinshu University
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2016105643