DIFFERENTIAL EXPOSURE TO FIELD SOLAR RADIATION AND POSTHARVEST CHILLING INJURY OF CANTALOUPE MELONS

Sensitivity to chilling injury (CI) of Cucumis melo Group Cantalupensis fruit varies from slight to severe, depending on the cultivar.
This limits the range of usable storage temperatures and durations.
Previous studies in other fruit, including C. melo Inodorus Group cv.
Honey Dew, have shown a close relationship between exposure to solar radiation in the field and postharvest CI of fruit.
In studies carried out at an intermediate latitude (32°27’S-70°38’W), the highly sensitive cantaloupe cv.
Colima was sown sequentially, from early to late spring, and fruit tagged at anthesis were left uncovered, shaded with a 40% shading mesh or covered partially or completely with bags that excluded sunlight.
Fruit harvested at different dates during the summer were stored for 21 days at 1°C, plus 3 days at 20°C, and rated for CI symptoms and other variables.
Results showed significant effects of solar radiation on CI expression.
Although ratings varied according to total accumulated solar radiation, fruit exposed to direct sunlight showed higher CI and, on a given fruit, sun exposed areas were most affected.

V International Postharvest Symposium

C. Krarup, R. González

Cucumis melo, Cantalupensis, sunlight, temperature, injury

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2005.682.178