Physiological mechanism and application of exogenous abscisic acid in postharvest fruits and vegetables

ABA, one of the five major plant endogenous hormones, is a major regulator of fruit and vegetable growth, development and maturation, which has many physiological functions, such as inhibiting growth, promoting dormancy, delaying germination, resulting in organ abscission etc.At present, application of ABA in postharvest of fruits and vegetables focus mainly on improving eating quality, keeping appearance quality and prolonging storage period.The main mechanisms employed for these functions have been found to be reflected in the aspects of promoting related gene expression, controlling enzyme activity and changing membrane permeability etc.In this mini-paper, the postharvest application status quo and mechanisms of ABA was reviewed, the existing problems was analyzed, and its research and application prospects in fruits and vegetables was envisioned.