Abstract
1. The chlorophyll in the rind was unaffected during the treatment of sealing with ethylene for 15 hrs. However, after exposing the fruit to air the chlorophyll content decreased rapidly for 3-4 days.
2. The greener the fruit treated with ethylene the greater the decrease in chlorophyll. This phenomenon was observed in comparing immature fruits with mature fruits and greener parts with less greener parts on the rind of the same fruit.
3. The ethylene treatment did not effect the carotenoid content of the rind.
4. The ethylene treatment affected equally the degreening of the fruit of early maturing and late maturing cultivars. However, coloring was more marked in late maturing cultivars due to the presence of a greater amount of carotenoids in the rind.
5. It is not necessary to treat the fruit with ethylene when harvested. There was no difference in coloring whether treated at harvest or 5 days after harvest.
6. When the chlorophyll did not disappear completely after treating with ethylene, retreating with ethylene was effective.
