Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different storage temperatures on chilling injury and fruit quality in Jiashi melon. Changes in decay incidence, weight loss percentage, chilling injury index, hardness, and the activities of fatty acid desaturases (FADs), lipoxygenase (LOX) and adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) were determined during storage at 0.5, 3.0 and 21.0 ℃, respectively. The results indicated that the occurrence of chilling injury in Jiashi melon was correlated with storage temperature and duration. Jiashi melon was highly vulnerable to chilling injury at 3.0 and 0.5 ℃, but chilling injury appeared relatively late at 0.5 ℃. A lower storage temperature delayed fruit decay, maintained higher activities of FADs and ATPase, inhibited the increase in LOX activity, and enhanced cold resistance in Jiashi melon. While chilling injury did not occur at 21.0 ℃, both weight loss percentage and decay incidence were relatively higher. Based on the above indicators, Jiashi melon had better quality when stored at 0.5 ℃.

Key words: Jiashi melon, low temperature storage, chilling injury, postharvest physiology