Ethephon and 1-MCP treatments
One group (100 fruit) served as controls. In another group (100 fruit) an aqueous 4800 μL L−1ethephon was brushed at the surface of the cut stalk, applying about 0.2 mL per stalk and dried in air at 25 °C. A third group was placed in a 71 L sealed container and treated with 500 μL L−1 1-MCP for 12 h at 25 °C. 1-MCP was generated by adding water to 1-MCP (EthylBloc®, Floralife Inc., Walterboro, SC, USA) powder, which was placed a glass vial. This resulted in a final concentration of 500 μL L−1 of 1-MCP in the air. Fans were used in the chambers to maintain air circulation. A fourth group of fruit was first treated with 1-MCP, as described above, and then immediately brushed with ethephon and dried as described. Fruit were stored at 25 °C and 85-90% RH.