Technical notes. Ripening of avocado fruits

Abstract

The Ryan variety of avocado is usually marketed from July onwards and it has been claimed that it does not ripen properly if allowed to become too mature, this period being from about the end of September. It was decided to investigate the changes in the respiration rate that occur in the fruit of this variety with respect to maturity and to use this pattern as a measure of the progress of ripening (Biale 1947). The effect of added ethylene on the
respiration rate was also studied at various maturities.