Oxygen concentration affects chlorophyll fluorescence in chlorophyll-containing fruit.
Prange R. K., DeLong J. M., Leyte J. C., Harrison P. A.
Author Affiliation: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre, 32 Main Street, Kentville, NS B4N 1J5, Canada.
Postharvest Biology and Technology 24 : 201-205
Abstract : The effect of lowering O2 concentration on chlorophyll fluorescence was continuously monitored in apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.), pear (Pyrus communis L.), banana (Musa L. Cavendish subgroup), kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F. Liang et A.R. Ferguson), mango (Mangifera indica L.), and avocado (Persea americana Mill.) fruit, using a large surface-area sensor. In all of the six fruit, there were specific O2 concentrations at which the Fo and Fv/Fm chlorophyll fluorescence values suddenly increased and decreased, respectively. When the O2 concentrations were increased, the Fo and Fv/Fm signals returned to their previous values. Since the O2 concentrations at which this phenomenon occurred were close to known low O2 thresholds for these fruit, it may be that chlorophyll fluorescence can rapidly and non- destructively determine the lowest acceptable O2 concentration for stored chlorophyll-containing plant products.