Respiratory Characteristics of Cucumber Fruits under Unsteady Gas Condition

Abstract

In order to clarify the respiratory characteristics of cucumber fruits under unsteady gas condition, respiratory rate was measured by pouch method with two kinds of films. The results indicated that the respiratory rate was declined under the sharp decrease of oxygen and the sharp increase of carbon dioxide. It was suggested that the respiration of cucumber fruits was mainly affected by the changing in the concentration of oxygen. Moreover, it was considered that the changing rate of gas concentration influenced respiratory mechanism because the respiratory quotient was increased under very quick decreasing of oxygen concentration. As regards cucumber fruits, a bioproduction which is sensitive to chilling injury, respiratory quotient was raised upto about 2 under low temperature condition due to the increase of carbon dioxide evolution and the slight increase of oxygen consumption rate.