Hormone‐Induced Reversal of Color Change and Related Respiratory Effects in Ripening Apricot Fruits

Preharvest applications of N 6 ‐benzyladenine and gibberellic acid caused a lowering of respiratory rates and a transient reversal in the color changes normally associated with the postharvest ripening of apricot fruits ( Prunus armeniaca L.) Light transmission at 589 and 657 nm were used to detect color change. A physiological and metabolic link is implied by the close temporal coincidence of both the reversal in color change and the reversal in respiratory rate that occurs at the climacteric minimum. Postharvest treatments with the same phytohormones had generally similar but much less pronounced effects.