Chilling injury of fruits and vegetables

Abstract

Chilling injury affects many fruits and vegetables. Most crops of tropical and subtropical origin are sensitive to chilling injury. Some crops of Temperate Zone origin are also susceptible. These crops are injured by low, but nonfreezing, temperatures. At these temperatures, the tissues weaken because they are unable to carry on normal metabolic processes. Various physiological and biochemical alterations occur in the sensitive species in response to low‐temperature exposure. These alterations lead to the development of a variety of chilling injury symptoms, such as surface pitting, discoloration, internal breakdown, failure to ripen, growth inhibition, wilting, loss of flavor, and decay. This review article describes the changes in membrane lipids, permeability, proteins, carbohydrates, energy supply, respiration, ethylene production, and other metabolic processes that are affected by chilling temperatures. Methods for alleviation of chilling injury‐such as temperature preconditioning, intermittent warming, chemical treatments, hormonal regulation, controlled atmosphere storage, genetic manipulation, and other methods—are also discussed.