Process for delaying senescence of pineapple fruit

Claim 1

THE METHODOF PRODUCING PINEAPPLY FRUIT OF SUPERIOR MARKET QUALITY, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) HARVESTING SAID FRUIT ONLY AFTER SAID FRUIT HAS REACHED SUBSTANTIALLY FULL MATURITY TO THEREBY OBTAIN TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT THE DESIRABLE QUALITIES ATTAINABLE BY NATURAL RIPENING OF PINEAPPLE FRUIT; AND (B) DELAYING THE POST-HARVEST SENESCENCE OF SAID FRUIT BY APPLYING TO THE FULL-GROWN FRUIT AFTER IT HAS BECOME SUFFICIENTLY RIPE THAT AT LEAST PART OF THE EYES OF THE FRUIT HAVE TURNED YELLOW AND DURING A PERIOD BEGINNING ABOUT THREE WEEKS BEFORE AND CONTINUING AFTER THE HARVESTING OF THE FRUIT A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE FOLLOWING FREE DIAND POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC ACIDS AND ESTERS, SALTS, AMIDES, AND NITRILE DERIVATIVES THEREOF: 1-NAPHTHALENEACETIC ACID 3,4-DIHYDRO-1-NAPHTHALENEACETIC ACID E-(1-NAPHTHYL)HEXOIC ACID B-(1-NAPHTHOYL)PROPIONIC ACID A-(2-NAPHTHOXY)PROPIONIC ACID 4-PHENANTHRENEACETIC ACID, THE AMOUNT OF SAID MATERIAL APPLIED BEING ADEQUATE TO SUBSTANTIALLY DELAY SENESCENCE OF THE TREATED FRUIT, BUT SUFFICIENTLY SMALL TO BE VIRTUALLY NONTOXIC.