Photosystem II quantum yield as a measure of radical scavengers in chilling injury in cucumber fruits and bell peppers. A static, dynamic and statistical model.

Cucumber fruits (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Jessica) and green bell peppers (Capsicum annuum L. cvs. Lokas and Medeo) were stored at different temperatures ranging from 2 to 12 deg C. After three different storage periods, fruits from each temperature were transfered to 20 deg C for 7 days to allow for the development of visual symptoms of chilling injury. A static and a dynamic model for the occurrence of chilling injury in low-temperature-sensitive plant tissue was developed. A statistical fit of the measured data using the static model leads to estimates of the different activation energies and reaction rates with a high degree of accuracy.