Carbon Dioxide, Ethylene, and Color Development in Ripening Mature Green Bell Peppers1

Mature green bell pepper fruit ( Capsicum annuum L. cv. Yolo Wonder) exhibited a non-climacteric pattern of ethylene and carbon dioxide production during normal ripening and red color development at 24°C. Exposing detached mature green fruit to 500 ppm propylene in air for 48 hours, did not induce an increase in ethylene or carbon dioxide production. Wounding excised plugs of ovary wall tissue caused an increase in carbon dioxide production within one day, and an increase in ethylene production by the second day.