Effect of Gamma Radiation on Rate of Ethylene and Carbon Dioxide Evolution by Lemon Fruit.

Freshly harvested lemon fruits show a declining respiratory rate and, therefore, have been classified as nonclimiiacteric fruits (1). Biale et al. (2), usinga a manomiietric technique, founid no evidence for ethylenie production by lemiioni fruits; but when Burg and Bturg (4) employe(d a highly selnsitive gas chromatograph, they founid the internal atmosphere of lemon fruits containie(d 0.11 to 0.17 ppm ethylene. Mlaxie et al. (7) showed that 50 kilorads (Krad) or more of gaimma radiationl ilmarkedly stillmulated CO.. evolutioni by lemiioln frtits. They note(l that irradiated fruit degreened muitich more rapidly than unirradiated fruit, suggestilng that radiation stimulated the produtctioll of ethylenie. The objective of this sttudy was to evalulltate fturther the effects of gamma radiationi oni the apparent ripening of lemiioln fruits.