Effects of Intermittent Ventilation during Ethylene Treatment and Storage Temperature on Peel Color of Soft‐Ripened 'Saijo' Persimmons (Diospyros kaki Thunb.)

Abstract

　To obtain soft-ripened persimmons, 'Saijo' persimmons (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) were stored for several weeks at 0℃, treated with 100 or 20 ppm ethylene in sealed containers for 48 h at 20℃, and subsequently kept for 4 days at 10℃ or 20℃. During the ethylene treatment, the containers were left open for 1 h for ventilation, and the effects of the frequency of ventilation on peel color were examined. The persimmons treated with 100 ppm ethylene with or without ventilation reached the soft-ripened stage after 4 days at 10℃ or 20℃. Ventilation during the 100 and 20 ppm ethylene treatments markedly improved peel color of persimmons soft-ripened at 20℃. In summary, ventilation during ethylene treatment improved peel color of persimmons soft-ripened after storage for 4 weeks at 0℃.