Interaction of ethylene concentration and storage temperature on postharvest life of the green vegetables pak choi, broccoli, mint, and green bean

Reducing ethylene levels around produce delays the senescence of fruit and vegetables and therefore has the potential to reduce the need for refrigeration during transport and storage, which would result in substantial energy savings. In this study four non-climacteric green vegetables were stored at 0, 5, 10, and 20 degrees C in an atmosphere containing 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 mu L L-1 ethylene. The results showed that the postharvest life, as determined by consumer acceptance criteria of yellowing for pak choi and broccoli, leaf abscission for mint, and pod softening and chilling injury for green bean, increased as the temperature and ethylene concentration decreased. Regression equations generated from the storage data allowed for the calculation of the temperature and ethylene levels required for any nominated postharvest life. Using a 14-day postharvest life as an example, storage in ethylene at 0.001 mu L L-1 would allow a storage temperature of about 10 degrees C for pak choi, broccoli, and mint and about 18 degrees C for green bean, temperatures well above the current recommendations of 0 to 5 degrees C.