Articles
MAINTAINING HIGH MARKET VALUE OF SURPLUS TOMATO HARVESTS DURING SHORT-TERM STORAGE BY LIMITING COLOUR DEVELOPMENT WITH 1-MCP
Article number
1079_58
Pages
447 – 452
Language
English
Abstract
Farm gate value of tomatoes is directly related to fruit colour, with greener (turning to champagne) fruit fetching higher returns than red fruit.
During peak production periods fruit often need to be stored for short periods as a result of surplus harvests prior to market closure over weekends or public holidays.
During such storage periods market value of the harvest can be reduced due to red colour development above what the market accepts as optimal. 1-methylcyclopropene
(1-MCP) has been shown to limit red colour development of tomatoes.
This research investigated the feasibility of treating unsorted Star 9011 tomato (Stark Ayers) with 1-MCP directly after harvest as a short term storage protocol in limiting red colour development of tomatoes versus standard procedures.
Loses due to absolute ripening retardation were also measured and factored into the feasibility of the treatment protocol, allowing its net benefit to be determined.
Unsorted tomatoes were colour scored and treated with 0.5 µl L-1 1-MCP for 16 h at 8 or 15°C directly after harvest and left at these temperatures for simulated farm storage of 2-3 d.
Products were then colour scored again before shelf-life simulation at either 8°C (market ready fruit) or at ambient (green fruit) for red colour induction prior to marketing.
Colour development was assessed on alternate days for two weeks.
An untreated control was included for all treatments.
At both temperature regimes (8 and 15°C), the 1-MCP treated tomatoes had 20% less fruit that were too red for optimal market value sale.
The percentage of product loss due to green fruit that failed to ripen due to 1-MCP application on green fruit was higher for 1-MCP treatments than the controls.
Overall, 1-MCP resulted in reduction of losses by 10 and 19% compared with controls at 8 and 15°C, respectively.
During peak production periods fruit often need to be stored for short periods as a result of surplus harvests prior to market closure over weekends or public holidays.
During such storage periods market value of the harvest can be reduced due to red colour development above what the market accepts as optimal. 1-methylcyclopropene
(1-MCP) has been shown to limit red colour development of tomatoes.
This research investigated the feasibility of treating unsorted Star 9011 tomato (Stark Ayers) with 1-MCP directly after harvest as a short term storage protocol in limiting red colour development of tomatoes versus standard procedures.
Loses due to absolute ripening retardation were also measured and factored into the feasibility of the treatment protocol, allowing its net benefit to be determined.
Unsorted tomatoes were colour scored and treated with 0.5 µl L-1 1-MCP for 16 h at 8 or 15°C directly after harvest and left at these temperatures for simulated farm storage of 2-3 d.
Products were then colour scored again before shelf-life simulation at either 8°C (market ready fruit) or at ambient (green fruit) for red colour induction prior to marketing.
Colour development was assessed on alternate days for two weeks.
An untreated control was included for all treatments.
At both temperature regimes (8 and 15°C), the 1-MCP treated tomatoes had 20% less fruit that were too red for optimal market value sale.
The percentage of product loss due to green fruit that failed to ripen due to 1-MCP application on green fruit was higher for 1-MCP treatments than the controls.
Overall, 1-MCP resulted in reduction of losses by 10 and 19% compared with controls at 8 and 15°C, respectively.
Publication
Authors
T. de Beer, E.M. Crouch
Keywords
1-methycyclopropene, Solanum lycopersicum L., ripening, ethylene, farm losses, SmartFreshTM
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