The experiments were carried out to clarify the effects of carbon dioxide concentrations on natsudaidai fruits and to determine the optimum carbon dioxide levels in CA storage. The fruits were stored in the air mixed with 0, 3.3, 16, 25% carbon dioxide at 4°C for 49 days and 0, 3.5, 13, 23% at 20°C for 33 days in 1970, and in 1971, 0, 2.5, 5, 10, 15, 20% at 4°C and 20°C, for 66 days and 37 days, respectively. Excluding the effects of low oxygen concentrations, oxygen levels were kept at high levels (15.8-21.0%) in each treatments.
1. At 4°C, the browning of buttons was retarded above 5% CO
2 in 1971. No distinct differences were found among CO
2 levels in soluble solids, but the reduction of titratable acidity was accelerated at 25% CO
2 in 1970.
The peel softened, and then, the albedo turned watery and yellow, and the juice sac turned from orange color to yellow above 10% CO
2. The injured fruits had high peel fresh weight and high peel ratio to whole fruit by fresh weight basis, and developed the fermented flavor and the strong bitter taste. The higher ethanol contents were found in the fruits with the fermented flavor and the strong bitter taste. The flat taste and the slight granulation were found below 2.5% CO
2 in 1971, so the best eating quality was obtained at 5% CO
2. Pitting was reduced above 5% CO
2.
2. At 20°C, the browning of buttons was retarded above 3.5% CO
2 in 1971, and above 5% CO
2 in 1971. No distinct differences were found among CO
2 levels in soluble solids and titratable acidity. The abnormal flavor and the slight sweet taste developed above 13% CO
2 in 1970, and above 5% CO
2 in 1971. The fermented flavor, the strong bitter taste and the accumulation of ethanol were not found in all treatments. Above 13% CO
2, the peel color turned reddish.
3. Under high CO
2 levels in citrus CA storage, three problems viz., the decay, the abnormal flavor and the puffy fruit with the plumping peel (ukigawa), must be solved. The humidity control seemed to be one of the important storage problems to be studied. In natsudaidai fruits, the optimum CO
2 level was 5% at 4°C. The discussion was made about the abnormal flavor and the strong bitter taste in relation to the high water contents and the gas diffusion resistance of the peel, the internal gas concentrations and the ethanol accumulation.
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