Oxalic acid treatment not only inhibited the ethylene production rate but also delayed the time to the peak ethylene production rate of banana fruit during storage (Fig. 2A). In the control fruit, a peak of 0.075 μg kg−1 s−1 occurred after 16 d of storage, while no obvious peak of ethylene production rate appeared in the oxalic acid-treated fruit by the end of storage. Similarly, the respiration rate of banana fruit during storage was inhibited by oxalic acid treatment (Fig. 2B). Furthermore, the oxalic acid treatment delayed the time to the respiration peak of banana fruit during storage.