RESPIRATION RATE OF BLUEBERRY IN MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE AT VARIOUS TEMPERATURES

Respiration rates of three blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) cultivars (Coville, Blueray, and Jersey) were measured as a function of O2, CO2, and temperature using the closed system method. The data conformed well to a recently proposed Michaelis-Menten type respiration (r) model (r = V(m) [O2]/{K(m) + (1 + [CO2]/K(i))[O2]}), where V(m) was maximum respiration rate, K(m) was Michaelis-Menten constant, and K(i) was inhibition constant. The model predictions were used to examine the behavior of respiration rates. In general, the respiration rates decreased with increasing CO2, but were little affected by changes in O2. 'Coville' blueberries had the highest respiration rate, followed by 'Blueray' and 'Jersey. The temperature dependence of the respiration rates followed the Arrhenius relationship.