Cabbage circadian clocks tick even after picking

Daily cycles help vegetables fight off hungry caterpillars

Cabbages with jet lag are less nutritious and more vulnerable to insect pests.

CABBAGE JET LAG Vegetables stored under constant light conditions are more vulnerable to being eaten by the cabbage looper caterpillar. Goodspeed et al.

Fruits and vegetables have an internal clock that can be reset by a daily cycle of light and dark, but storing produce in darkened refrigerators could disrupt this natural rhythm, researchers report June 20 in Current Biology.