No abstract

No abstract

Ascorbic acid (AA) application at relatively high concentration, 1-5% w/v, accelerated abscission of fruit more than of leaves and increased the ethylene production of both organs by about 10 fold. This selective abscission may be related to the following factors: a) the internal ethylene concentration rises in treated fruit up to levels above 1 ppm whereas its concentration in treated leaves is estimated to be lower; b) leaves incorporate less ascorbic acid than fruit; c) A A induces a marked injury to the fruit’s rind and little to no visible injury to leaves. Ascorbic acid treatment increased the sensitivity of both leaves and fruit to external ethylene and increased the respiratory activity of both. This rise in fruit respiration might be related to the increase in internal ethylene and injury.