Symptoms of Chilling Injury in Vegetables

Temperature of less than 15°C injure certain vegetables. This phenomenon is especially important in postharvest handling and storage, as the use of low temperature is the most effective method of extending the storage life of many products.

The degree of chilling injury incurred depends on the temperature, the duration of low temperature exposure, and the sensitivity of the species to chilling temperatures. The lower the temperature, the greater the severity of the eventual injury. Upon removal to non-chilling temperatures, the full manifestations of the stress becomes apparent. The longer the duration of exposure to chilling temperatures, the full manifestation of the stress becomes apparent. The longer the duration of exposure to chilling temperatures, the greater the injury. The sensitivity of a vegetable to chilling stress depends on several factors, of which species, cultivar, plant part, and morphological and physiological condition at the time of exposure are of critical importance. Chilling stress and injury does not only occur in storages. Chilling temperatures may also be encountered in the field, during handling or transit, during wholesale distribution, in the retail store, and/or in the home.

The following table lists the vegetables that are sensitive to chilling temperatures, as well as the lowest safe storage/handling temperature and the symptons of chilling injury for that vegetable.