Agriculture for Sustainable Development 2(1):1-5, 2014/Article Parewa and Yadav *Corresponding author Email: pallavinehasingh@gmail.com; ETHYLENE SYNTHESIS INHIBITORS AS TECHNIQUE FOR INCREASING SHELF LIFE AND QUALITY OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES PALLAVI NEHA 1* , K. PRASAD 2 AND UADAL SINGH 3 1 Division of Post Harvest Technology, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka-560089 2 Division of Postharvest Technology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110012 3 PSS Central Institute of Vocational Education, NCERT, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh -426013 Received: 03.02.2017 Revised accepted: 11.03.2017 ABSTRACT Ethylene synthesis inhibitors are present in plants itself but in very small amounts and their levels decrease with maturation and ripening. These inhibitors can also be synthesized artificially and applied externally to bring the desirable changes in ripening behaviour of fruits (McKeon and Yang, 1987; Reid, 1987). Ethylene is an important plant growth regulator that affects diverse developmental processes including fruit ripening, senescence and stress responses. Chemical inhibitors of ethylene synthesis block ripening and senescence in many plant species. Their role in regulating climacteric fruit ripening is particularly well established. Ethylene is synthesized from S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) by way of the intermediate 1- aminocyclopropane-1- carboxylic acid (ACC) (McKeon and Yang, 1987). Ethylene synthesis inhibitors like Aminooxyacetic acid (AOA), Aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG), Salicylic acid (SA), Brassinosteroid inhibitor brassinazole (BRZ), Nitric oxide (NO) affect the synthesis of 1- aminocyclopropane-1- carboxylic acid synthase (ACS), 1- aminocyclopropane-1- carboxylic acid oxidase (ACO) or process of ACC production. Hence, there is an opportunity for modulating ethylene evolution thereby ripening process and shelf life with exogenous application of these inhibitors. This will not only delay ripening process but also alleviate the chilling injury, reduce the disease incidence and maintain the fruit quality. Keywords: Introduction- Ethylene and its effect on ripening: Ripening is nowadays not only a physiological process but it is becoming a tool for farmer to manage and sell their produce at a proper stage and quality of the fruit. Physiologically it is defined as the process by which fruits attain their desirable flavour, colour, palatable nature and other textural properties which ultimately make it more attractive and edible. Ripening is not only associated with the change in internal composition i.e. sugar, TSS, acids, but also external appearance like colour, flavour, texture. Thus, ripening is the process which affect horticulture commodity from the point of view of farmer, wholesaler, trader and consumer. As we know that Agriculture for Sustainable Development http://www.sustainableagriculture.in Agriculture for Sustainable Development 5(1):6-10, 2017/Article ISSN 2347-5358 (Print)/ 2349-2228 (Online)