AbstractsBiology & Animal Science

The influence of carbon dioxide and low oxygen concentrations on the physiological activities of apple tissue has been studied. It has been shownthat low (6 percent) and high of carbon dioxide (53 percent) concentrations/stimulate and depress respectively the respiratory activity of fruitsduring a period of six days. Low concentrations of oxygen (l percent) increased the output of carbon dioxide of apples; when these fruits werereturned to air the rate of oxygen uptake was found to be lower than in those fruits stored continuously in air. Fruits which had been stored in 5percent and 10 percent carbon dioxide at 3-5 C for several months and removed to 21 C were observed to respire more rapidly than the controls storedin air. Moisture loss and the size effect were noted. Golden Russet apples lost three times as much moisture as carbon dioxide by weight, and theloss of these constituents from fruits varied inversely as the size. The carbon dioxide loss and transpiration were greatly increased in applesaffected with physiological breakdown. [...]