The effects of hypobaric storage on the biological characteristics of green asparagus were compared against refrigeration and room temperature storage. Hypobaric storage significantly (P <= 0.05) inhibited the respiratory intensity, preserved chlorophyll, vitamin C, titratable acidity and soluble solids, and also reduced MDA accumulation in asparagus. Hypobaric storage obviously improved sensory quality, delayed the post-harvest senescence process of asparagus. It extended the storage life up to 50 days, whereas refrigerated and room temperature stored samples exhibited only 25 and 6 days, respectively. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.