The respiration of vegetables

After picking fruits and vegetables is still a “living body”, life activities rely on oxygen to maintain. At room temperature conditions will carry out normal physiological metabolism. As a result of separation from the original growth environment, can no longer get water and other material supply from the mother plant. Instead, under the action of some enzymes, it will continue to consume its own water and decompose organic matter to produce carbon dioxide, water, etc., to maintain normal life activities.

Factors affecting respiration

There are five major factors that affect the respiration of fruits and vegetables: temperature, humidity, environmental gases, mechanical damage and plant hormones.

1.Temperature

Fruit and vegetable respiration and temperature into a positive correlation: in a certain temperature range, every 10 ℃ respiratory intensity increased by 1 times, if the temperature is reduced, the respiratory intensity is greatly weakened. The smaller the respiratory intensity of fruits and vegetables, the slower the consumption of substances, storage life will be extended.

2.Humidity 

Slight dryness can inhibit respiration more than humidity. Different types of fruits and vegetables, the response is also different.

3.Environmental gases

The atmosphere generally contains 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, 0.03% carbon dioxide, and other trace gases. Among the components of ambient gases, carbon dioxide and ethylene released by the fruit have a significant impact on the respiration of fruits and vegetables.

4.Mechanical damage

Fruits and vegetables in the harvest, grading, packaging, transportation and storage process will encounter extrusion, collision, puncture and other damage. In this case, the respiratory strength of fruits and vegetables to enhance, and thus will greatly shorten the storage life, accelerate the ripening and aging of fruits and vegetables. Mechanical damage to fruits and vegetables, but also susceptible to disease infection and cause rot.

5.Plant hormones

Including ethylene, 2.4 -D, naphthalene acetic acid, abscisic acid, cyanidin, chlormequat chloride, B9 and so on. Different plant hormones for fruits and vegetables are different, such as: ethylene and abscisic acid is to accelerate the role of fruit and vegetable respiration and ripening. On the contrary, growth hormone and agonist hormone is to inhibit the respiration and ripening of fruits and vegetables.

Vegetable transpiration

Transpiration of fruits and vegetables is also an important factor affecting storage.When fruits and vegetables are picked, the loss of water supply. But the transpiration of fruits and vegetables still exists, with the passage of time, fresh fruits and vegetables due to the loss of water will cause “shrinkage” phenomenon. Typical phenomenon: apple fruit cracking, vegetables “wilt”.

Factors affecting transpiration

Influence of fruit and vegetable transpiration 6 factors: variety characteristics, maturity, temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, packaging.

Species characteristics

Fruit and vegetable species, to fruit, for example, different fruits and the thickness of the skin is not the same. Not only that, the fruit skin on the cuticle, fruit fat, lenticels are also very different, resulting in fruit and vegetable transpiration has a strong and weak.

Maturity

Fruits and vegetables in the ripening period, its pericarp growth is completed, cuticle, wax layer is also gradually developed completely. The original vigorous transpiration will become slower. But there are exceptions, like bananas of the plantain family and papayas of the papaya family will accelerate transpiration.

Temperature

Transpiration of fruits and vegetables is accelerated at high temperatures, while at low temperatures it is inhibited to a certain extent;

Relative humidity

The greater the relative humidity of the storage environment, the slower the rate of transpiration of water in fruits and vegetables (fruits and vegetables absorb water and transpiration of water tend to be equal);

Wind speed

In the wind speed (air flow rate) smooth state, fruit and vegetable transpiration of water vapor will be produced in the fruit and vegetable surface layer to form a “protective film” – evaporation surface. This “protective film” can reduce the vapor pressure difference, thus reducing the speed of transpiration. If the wind speed is high, it will destroy the evaporation surface to accelerate transpiration;

Product packaging

Packaging for storage, transportation of fruits and vegetables in the evaporation of water has a significant impact. Corrugated cardboard boxes and wooden boxes and baskets, compared with cardboard boxes packed with fruit evaporation is small. If the carton lined with plastic film, water evaporation can be greatly reduced. Fruit wrapping paper, plastic film bags Coated with wax, preservatives, etc. have prevented or reduced the role of water evaporation.

Vegetable cold room low temperature preservation

Cold storage is not to let fruits and vegetables “stop growing”, so that fruits and vegetables in a low-temperature environment, “frozen”. In fact, the cold storage of low-temperature environment to a certain extent inhibit the respiration and transpiration of fruits and vegetables, so that fruit and vegetable life activities “deceleration”. Thus prolonging the freshness cycle of fruits and vegetables.

Achieving prolonged preservation of vegetables is to control respiration and transpiration.