Abstract: The relationships between the post-harvest ethylene level in Litchi fruits and its rate of respiration and between rindbrowning and its water transport system were investigated. It was found that the maximum amount of ethylene produced duringthe initial period after harvest was 0.195μl/L and then dropped and kept somewhat steady in the range of 0.04～0.09μl/L. Thechange in ethylene level was found to be in good agreement with the rate of respiration. During the later period of the test, partialrind browning occurred, with a slight rise in ethylene level, suggesting it might have something to do with its physiologicaldeterioration. Treatment with ethrel at normal temperature (25～26℃) induced a respiratory climax, while treatment with ethrelat low temperature(13℃) showed an erratic change in respiration. This reaction pattern of Litchi fruits to ethylene was in goodaccordance with that of a typical non-climacteric fruits. Also observed is the special feature that the localized water loss in itsrind was hardly compensated through its water transport system, and thus caused rind browning. Therefore, the primary reasonfor rind browning might be physiological, not pathological. Thus for the storage of septic fruits such as litchi, the physiologicalproblems should be taken into account first and foremost, and then the pathological ones.

Key words: Litchi, endogenous ethylene, rate of respiration, water-unbalance loss, rind browning