Figure 2 shows the respiration and ethylene production rates of fruit slices held in air
and in low O2 or high CO2 atmospheres. Respiration rates decreased after 3 days of storage
and then leveled off up to the end of the storage period while ethylene production did not
greatly vary from the prestorage level (day 0) during the first 10 days of storage. During
these periods, low O2 or high CO2 atmospheres did not cause significant variations in
respiration and ethylene production relative to the rates of slices stored in air. However, after
14 days of storage, slices held in air or 1% O2 exhibited dramatic increase in ethylene
production whereas those from the other treatments had still low ethylene production rates
similar to that in the earlier part of the storage period.