Why some fruits ripen on the branch
It is all about finding the right animal customer
BANANAS, APPLES and avocados continue to ripen after they are picked. Cherries, blackberries and grapes do not. The difference between climacteric fruits (the former) and non-climacteric fruits (the latter) matters to fruit growers and greengrocers, who must make sure their wares are in tip-top condition when they arrive at the marketplace. But how those differences originally came about remains unclear.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Finding the right customer”
From the September 25th 2021 edition
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