(1) Temperature

Temperature affects the physical, biochemical and mutagenic reactions in fruit storage, and is an important factor determining the quality of fruit storage. Low temperature can inhibit fruit respiration and other metabolic processes, and can reduce the kinetic energy of water molecules and reduce the evaporation rate of liquid water, thereby delaying aging and keeping fruits fresh and full. The optimal storage temperature of different varieties of fruits shows great differences. For most fruits, the lowest possible temperature can promote the storage stability of fruits and prolong the shelf life under the premise of no chilling or freezing damage. On the other hand, postharvest heat treatment of fruit can repel pests, control disease, and delay fruit senescence by affecting protein synthesis, tissue softening, chlorophyll loss, respiration, and ethylene production.

(2) Gas composition

The metabolism of plant cells is mainly oxidation and reduction reactions, in which the utilization rate of oxygen determines the speed of metabolism, thereby affecting the quality of fruit storage. Changing the gas composition in the surrounding environment, such as lowering oxygen levels and increasing carbon dioxide, can slow down metabolism. Since the terminal oxidase of the electron transport chain in mitochondria has a high affinity for oxygen, the oxygen concentration in the environment should be lower than 10%; on the other hand, when the oxygen concentration is close to 2%, it will cause anaerobic respiration of the tissue.

For storage fruits, there are antagonistic and synergistic effects between suitable temperature, carbon dioxide and oxygen, and the mutual cooperation between them is far stronger than the single effect of a certain factor.

(3) Humidity

The process of absorbing water from the roots of the plant is terminated by the harvested fruit, and the loss of water in the fruit can cause changes in structure, texture and surface, so reducing water loss plays a key role in maintaining fruit freshness and quality. The reduction of postharvest fruit water loss mainly depends on the water vapor pressure difference between the fruit and the surrounding environment and the resistance of the fruit surface and internal tissues to water evaporation. Relative humidity represents the dryness and wetness of ambient air, and is an important factor affecting the quality of fruit storage. It will be affected by temperature and air flow rate. In addition, the control of humidity during storage should not only consider its impact on storage quality, but also take into account its impact on microbial activity.