Ethephon and Ripening Methods

Ripening Methods

• Ethylene gas can be generated by passing ethanol over activated alumina, which is a safer method than using pure ethylene gas.
• Ethephon, a compound that releases ethylene, is used to ripen tomatoes for processing.
• Ethephon's ethylene release increases with higher pH and relative humidity.

Approved Uses of Ethephon

• Ethephon is approved for various agricultural uses in the United States:
  • Postharvest fruit ripening: Bananas and tomatoes (FL)
  • Pre-harvest fruit ripening: Peppers and tomatoes
  • Fruit removal: Apples, carob, crabapples, olive
  • Defoliation: Apples, buckhorn, cotton, roses
  • Fruit loosening: Apples, blackberries (WA, OR), cantaloupes, cherries (CA, AZ, TX), tangerines
  • Maturity or color development: Apples, cranberries (MA, NJ, WI), figs (CA), filberts (OR), grapes, peppers, pineapple, tomatoes

Handling Produce at Destination

• Avoid rough handling and minimize the number of handling steps.
• Maintain the lowest feasible temperature.
• Store produce in clean, well-insulated rooms.
• Separate commodities with different temperature requirements, especially ethylene-sensitive produce from ethylene-generating produce.
• Stack non-uniform containers carefully to prevent collapse.
• Sort for quality and discard damaged or decayed produce.
• Ripen climacteric fruits (bananas, tomatoes, avocadoes, mangoes) before sale.
• Covering bananas with a plastic sheet promotes uniform ripening.
• Air vents in ripening piles can help reduce overheating and increase shelf life.
• Ripening rooms or cabinets provide controlled environments for uniform ripening.
• Display tables and refrigerated displays should be suitable for the commodity being sold.
• Misting water-tolerant produce with cool, clean water maintains humidity.
• Outdoor marketplaces benefit from shading and protection from wind to combat desiccation.
• Maintaining records of losses at wholesale or retail level provides valuable feedback to suppliers.

Unloading and Handling

• Loading docks ease the work associated with handling horticultural produce at destination.
• Docks should be 117-122 cm high for large trucks and 66-81 cm high for small trucks.
• A simple pulley system can help unload containers.
• Folded stairs help with loading and unloading.
• Ramps should be wide enough to prevent accidents and strong enough to support the handler and the package.
• Hand-trucks or small carts ease the work associated with unloading produce.

Specific Heat and Respiration Rate

• This table provides the product-specific heat of respiration and the respiration rate at different temperatures for various fruits:
  • Avocado: 62-157 mg CO2/ kg-hr, 10-100 ppm, 59-65 °F, 12-48 hours
  • Banana: 25-110 mg CO2/ kg-hr, 100-150 ppm, 59-65 °F, 24 hours
  • Honeydew Melon: 20-27 mg CO2/ kg-hr, 100-150 ppm, 68-77 °F, 18-24 hours
  • Kiwifruit: 16-22 mg CO2/ kg-hr, 10-100 ppm, 32-68 °F, 12-24 hours
  • Mango: 40-200 mg CO2/ kg-hr, 100-150 ppm, 68-72 °F, 12-24 hours
  • Orange Degreening: 22-34 mg CO2/ kg-hr, 1-10 ppm, 68-72 °F, 24-72 hours
  • Stone Fruit: 12-81 mg CO2/ kg-hr, 10-100 ppm, 55-77 °F, 12-72 hours
  • Tomato: 24-44 mg CO2/ kg-hr, 100-150 ppm, 68-77 °F, 24-48 hours

Produce that Benefits from Misting

• Artichoke
• Beans (snap)
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Collards
• Corn
• Eggplant
• Endive
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Mustard Greens
• Onions (green)
• Parsley
• Parsnips
• Peas
• Peppers
• Radishes
• Rhubarb
• Shallots (green)
• Sprouts
• Summer Squash
• Swiss Chard
• Turnips
• Watercress

Market Stands

• Simple semi-circular display tables can be made from plywood.
• Plans for market stands are available from Cornell University Extension.

This quiz covers the use of ethephon for ripening fruits and its approved agricultural applications. Learn about the benefits of ethylene and safe handling practices for produce. Test your knowledge on the various uses and effects of this compound in fruit ripening.