Abstract
A marked production of ethylene by immature Satsuma mandarin fruit (Citrus unshiu MARCOVITCH, cv. ISHIKAWA) harvested in June and July occurred during incubation at 20°C in the dark after picking. The ability of ethylene production by the fruit conspicuously diminished in August and a trace of ethylene was evolved by the fruit harvested in September and October. The rate of ethylene production per fruit was highest in the fruit harvested in early July.
The remarkable ethylene production was accompanied by an increase in respiration, destruction of chlorophyll and abscission of calyx, the phenomenon being very similar to that revealed by the climacteric type fruits.
When discs are prepared from albedo tissue of immature fruit and incubated at 20°C, a great increase in ethylene production occurred in a short period wich continued for 20 hr and then declined.
Discussion was made on a mode of ethylene production and an accompanied rise in respiration exhibited by immature citrus fruit in relation to the climacteric induced by ethylene of climacteric type fruits.
