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Effects of low temperature and controlled atmosphere (CA) on quality changes and physiological characteristics of chilling injury (CI) were investigated during storage of squash. The incidence of CI was $gt;90%, 45%, and $lt;5% of total fruits stored at 2℃, 5℃, and 10℃ at 20 days in storage, and they represented no market quality at 5, 10, and 20 days in storage, respectively, Fruit showed no CI symptoms at 12℃ until 20 days in storage, however they were not any more marketable because of accelerated quality deterioration after 10 days in storage. In case of 2℃ and 5℃, two CA treatments of 1% CO₂ + 1% O₂ and 3% CO₂ + 1% O₂ were most effective on reducing CI symptoms until 10 days at 2℃ and 20 days at 5℃ in storage. At 10℃, two above CA treatments developed only 5% CI symptoms of total fruits after 20 days in storage and kept fruit still marketable. Some physiological characteristics such as carbon dioxide, ethylene, and electrolyte leakage were developed with the increase of CI severity and storage duration. Both acetaldehyde and ethylalcohol in all treatments were detected at low levels throughout the cold storage, but after transferring to 20℃ for 1 day, they were greatly increased. CA treatments inhibited the increase of acetaldehyde and ethylalcohol. From above results two CA treatments of 1% CO₂ + 1% O₂ and 3% CO₂ + 1% O₂ could be effective to keep market quality of squash when storage temperature was maintained at 10℃.
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