TRANSGENES, ETHYLENE AND POSTHARVEST APPLICATIONS

The role of ethylene in controlling many aspects of plant development is well established.
Many of these ethylene-controlled processes are fundamentally important to postharvest biology and much effort has been devoted to decreasing the effects of ethylene on processes such as fruit ripening and decay, flower senescence and abscission.
In recent years, technology to produce transgenic plants has emerged.
Our understanding of the mechanisms controlling ethylene synthesis and perception has expanded rapidly in the last several years.
Using the available molecular tools, there have been demonstrations of effective control of fruit ripening and flower senescence in multiple species.
However, unintended side effects of interfering with ethylene signaling have proven to be major challenges to bringing biotechnology-based products to the market.
These challenges and ways to circumvent them are discussed.

V International Postharvest Symposium

H. Klee

fruit ripening, senescence, genetic engineering, climacteric fruits

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2005.682.32