3.4. Fruit softness
NO fumigation treatments (10, 20 and 40 L L−1) resulted in
lower rates of fruit softening as compared to 5 L L−1 and the control
during ripening of 2-week cold-stored fruit (Fig. 3A). At the
ripe eating stage, all NO-fumigated fruit following 2 weeks of cold
storage did not show any significant difference in fruit softening as
compared to the control.
All NO fumigation treatments (except 5 L L−1) resulted in lower
rates of fruit softening during ripening (2–6 d) of 4-week coldstored
fruit (Fig. 3B). Following 4 weeks cold storage, control and
5 L L−1 NO-treated fruit attained the ripe eating soft stage at
ambient temperature 1 d earlier than all other treatments. The
interaction between NO fumigation and ripening period was found
to be significant (P ≤ 0.01) for fruit softening in 2- and 4-week coldsto
stored fruit.