Articles
THE RIPENING AND QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF CHERRY TOMATO FRUIT IN RELATION TO THE TIME OF HARVEST
Article number
1079_65
Pages
495 – 500
Language
English
Abstract
To evaluate the effect of early harvesting on the fruit quality of two commercial cherry tomato hybrids (Conchita F1 and Cherelino F1), fruit were harvested: (1) at the red-ripe stage (RR), (2) at the breaker stage (BR) and held at 25°C in the dark, or (3) at the mature-green stage (MG), treated with ethylene (150 mg L-1 for 48 h, at 25°C in the dark) and held at 25°C under light (2,500 lx) or darkness.
During ripening and/or at full ripeness, fruit quality was evaluated with respect to colour, respiration, ethylene production, firmness and composition (sugars and starch). Fruit of Conchita harvested at the MG stage and held in the light developed a uniform red colour within 7 days of ethylene treatment, whereas Cherelino fruit harvested at the same stage took 5 days longer to go through ripening and failed to redden uniformly.
Light proved essential for colour development, since in both genotypes MG and BR fruit held in the dark failed to redden uniformly even 20 days after harvest.
In contrast, fruit ripened naturally on the plant exhibited a uniform colour and were firmer than those ripened on the shelf.
CO2 and ethylene production of detached MG and BR fruit of both genotypes was high during the initial stages of ripening, but declined with increasing maturation without evidence of a respiratory climacteric. Conchita fruit, which have a longer postharvest life than Cherelino, consistently produced less ethylene during maturation.
Starch breakdown during ripening was not affected by postharvest treatments and was invariably low at maturity.
However, fruit that ripened on the plant contained more fructose and glucose than those harvested at stages BR and MG and ripened on the shelf.
Consequently, we recommend that cherry tomato hybrids should be ripened on the plant prior to harvest.
During ripening and/or at full ripeness, fruit quality was evaluated with respect to colour, respiration, ethylene production, firmness and composition (sugars and starch). Fruit of Conchita harvested at the MG stage and held in the light developed a uniform red colour within 7 days of ethylene treatment, whereas Cherelino fruit harvested at the same stage took 5 days longer to go through ripening and failed to redden uniformly.
Light proved essential for colour development, since in both genotypes MG and BR fruit held in the dark failed to redden uniformly even 20 days after harvest.
In contrast, fruit ripened naturally on the plant exhibited a uniform colour and were firmer than those ripened on the shelf.
CO2 and ethylene production of detached MG and BR fruit of both genotypes was high during the initial stages of ripening, but declined with increasing maturation without evidence of a respiratory climacteric. Conchita fruit, which have a longer postharvest life than Cherelino, consistently produced less ethylene during maturation.
Starch breakdown during ripening was not affected by postharvest treatments and was invariably low at maturity.
However, fruit that ripened on the plant contained more fructose and glucose than those harvested at stages BR and MG and ripened on the shelf.
Consequently, we recommend that cherry tomato hybrids should be ripened on the plant prior to harvest.
Publication
Authors
I.C. Karapanos, M. Chandra, K.A. Akoumianakis, H.C. Passam, A.A. Alexopoulos
Keywords
postharvest life, mature-green stage, breaker stage, red-ripe stage, early harvesting, artificial ripening, ethylene treatment
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