Transpiration and Respiration of Fruits and Vegetables - I..

Transpiration is the process by which fresh fruits and vegetables lose moisture. This process includes the transport of moisture through the skin of the commodity, the evaporation of this moisture from the commodity surface and the convective mass transport of the moisture to the surroundings. This paper discusses the pertinent factors which affect transpiration and identifies mathematical models for predicting the rate of transpiration. Predicted transpiration coefficients and transpiration rates are compared to experimental data found in the literature. Respiration is the chemical process by which fruits and vegetables convert sugars and oxygen into carbon dioxide, water, and heat. The effect of respiration upon the transpiration rate of commodities is discussed and correlations are developed to estimate the respiratory heat generation of various commodities.