The role of ethylene in kiwifruit ripening and softennig.

Kiwifruit (Actinidia) was used to investigate the shift of ethylene climacteric and the effect of exogenous ethylene treatment on the ripening and softening of fruit stored at 20 so as to inquire into the role of ethylene in ripening and softening of kiwifruit. There are two distinct stages of fruit softening , i. e. the initiating stage of softening (ISS) and the stage of fast softening (SFS). The main role of ethylene in quickening the ripening and softening of fruit appeared in the SFS, while no such notable effect was observed during the ISS. The mechanism of exogenous ethylene treatment on accelerating the ripening and softening of fruit dose not result from promoting the synthesis of endogenous ethylene in ripening kiwifruit