Rate of Respiration and its Drift of Some Okinawa Grown Vegetables and Cut Flowers

Abstract

It is essential to understand the rate of respiration governing the storage life of fresh fruits and vegetables so that the precooling facilities, cold storages, and handling operations can be designed for maximum efficiency. The rate of respiration is a good index for the quality of fresh produce, and can be measured nondestructively. In the past, considerable research has been reported in various scientific journals on fruits, vegetables and cut flowers. However, the measurement methods, maturity of the samples and time after picking had not been reported in detail. The data on the respiration rate of subtropical products in Okinawa had not been reported. Thus respiratory properties of some Okinawa grown vegetables and cut flowers were measured and clarified. Furthermore, it was clarified that the drift of respiration rate after the products were picked and the ambient temperature were related by using kidney beans and sweet corn samples.