Articles
Development of maturity index in three breadfruit cultivars
Article number
1460_37
Pages
315 – 322
Language
English
Abstract
Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is a core, staple crop in the Pacific and Caribbean tropical regions, supporting both local food security and, increasingly, economic potential.
It has great potential to address issues of climate resilience, food security, and agricultural sustainability.
However, the high climacteric peak of breadfruit, corresponding to its fast ripening, causes breadfruit to deteriorate rapidly after harvest.
This high perishability rate makes it difficult to market fresh breadfruit commercially and places challenging demands on processing protocols and infrastructure.
To inform practices that may prolong the shelf life of breadfruit, this study investigated the physical and chemical characteristics of various maturity stages of three breadfruit cultivars: ‘Ma’afala’, ‘Fiti’ and ‘Otea’. Emerging fruits were tagged at polar size range <35 mm (3.5 cm) when the female inflorescences were fully visible, then collected biweekly across a 14-week growth period (week 5 until week 19). Results showed significant varietal differences in fruit color, size, weight and texture among the three cultivars across the maturation spectrum.
Total starch varied significantly across time, whereas resistant starch remained relatively stable, showing no significant differences among cultivars or maturity stages. ‘Ma’afala’ exhibited higher CO2 respiration and sucrose levels, while ‘Otea’ retained greater firmness.
Partitioning analysis identified three maturity phases; early (weeks 5-9), mid (weeks 11-13), and late (weeks 15-19), with week 15 representing the threshold of optimal maturity, marking stability in most traits.
It has great potential to address issues of climate resilience, food security, and agricultural sustainability.
However, the high climacteric peak of breadfruit, corresponding to its fast ripening, causes breadfruit to deteriorate rapidly after harvest.
This high perishability rate makes it difficult to market fresh breadfruit commercially and places challenging demands on processing protocols and infrastructure.
To inform practices that may prolong the shelf life of breadfruit, this study investigated the physical and chemical characteristics of various maturity stages of three breadfruit cultivars: ‘Ma’afala’, ‘Fiti’ and ‘Otea’. Emerging fruits were tagged at polar size range <35 mm (3.5 cm) when the female inflorescences were fully visible, then collected biweekly across a 14-week growth period (week 5 until week 19). Results showed significant varietal differences in fruit color, size, weight and texture among the three cultivars across the maturation spectrum.
Total starch varied significantly across time, whereas resistant starch remained relatively stable, showing no significant differences among cultivars or maturity stages. ‘Ma’afala’ exhibited higher CO2 respiration and sucrose levels, while ‘Otea’ retained greater firmness.
Partitioning analysis identified three maturity phases; early (weeks 5-9), mid (weeks 11-13), and late (weeks 15-19), with week 15 representing the threshold of optimal maturity, marking stability in most traits.
Authors
D. Autufuga, N. Lincoln, R. Paull, P. Liang
Keywords
Artocarpus altilis, fruit, indicators, mature, postharvest, ripening, softening
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