Both the practical agricultural use of ethylene (C2H4), and the basic biochemistry and physiology of C2H4 have been extensively studied for many decades (Abeles et al., 1992). Elucidation of the C2H4 biosynthetic pathway by Adams and
Yang (1979) and the recent application of molecular biology to unravel the complexities of C2H4 biosynthesis and action have greatly stimulated research in this area (Yang, 1985; DellaPenna and Giovannoni, 1991; Grierson and Schuch, 1994;Kanellis et al., 1997). However, much of what is known about the effects of C2H4 on the quality of fresh fruits and vegetables has been slowly amassed since the 1920s, and needs constant updating.