PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES OF RADISH (RAPHANUS SATIVUS L.) IN POSTHARVEST AS AFFECTED BY PREHARVEST CLIMATE CONDITIONS

The quality characteristics of radish are influenced by the product’s precondition, which are determined by the climate conditions during the production process.
Postharvest packaging treatments could not prevent undesired physiological changes within five days of storage.
This effect could be caused by the enhanced respiration rate of these radishes which were grown under higher temperature and irradiation rates resulting in a higher growth rate and thus higher respiration rate leading to an acceleration of the consumption of primary respiration substrates like glucose and fructose and marked by a distinct decomposition of sucrose.
A modification of the internal atmosphere in starch coated radish roots – caused by an additional physical barrier – might not have been strong enough to prevent the degradation of sucrose due to a suppressed respiration.
The decomposition of sucrose was also observed in OPP-film and foodtainer packaging.
Foodtainer packaging and OPP-film wrapping maintained the soluble and insoluble pectin content independently of the radish precondition leading to an unchanged root firmness with the exception of progressed developed radishes.
In contrast, starch coated radishes caused a decrease in root firmness.
Maintaining alkenyl glucosinolates strongly depend on the product’s precondition.
All three postharvest treatments prevented undesired postharvest colour changes independently of the radish precondition.

V International Postharvest Symposium

M. Schreiner, A. Krumbein, S. Huyskens-Keil

radish, climate conditions, film packaging, coating, pectin, glucosinolates, carbo-hydrates

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2005.682.113