2007 Volume 6 Issue 2 Pages 283-287
‘Andesu’ netted melon plants (Cucumis melo L.) were grown under shaded or unshaded conditions, and the relationship between the ethylene production and the development of ‘water-core’ in the fruit was studied. In the pre-ripe stage, ethylene production and fruit softening of the shaded plants were accelerated more than those of the unshaded plants, whereas ‘water-core’ in the fruit was formed only at and after the ripe stage. Although ‘water-core’ at the ripe stage was more apparent in the shaded than in the unshaded plants, some of the fruit developed the disorder even in the unshaded plants. In the unshaded plants, however, the number of ‘water-cored fruit’ did not increase even at the over-ripe stage. In the unshaded plants, both ethylene production and flesh firmness in ‘un-disordered fruit’ at the over-ripe stage were similar to those in ‘water-cored fruit’ on shaded plants at the ripe stage. Our results showed that the development of ‘water-core’ in ‘Andesu’ netted melon fruit was not due to the high ethylene production at the ripe to over-ripe stages.
