RH can influence water loss,
decay development, incidence and
severity of some physiological
disorders, and uniformity of fruit
ripening. Condensation of moisture on
the commodity (sweating) over long
periods of time is probably more
important in enhancing decay than is
the RH of ambient air. An appropriate
RH range for storage of fruits is 85 to
95% while that for most vegetables
varies from 90 to 98%. The optimal RH
range for dry onions and pumpkins is 70
to 75%. Some root vegetables, such as
carrot, parsnip, and radish, can best be
held at 95 to 100% RH.