THE INFLUENCE OF HARVEST MATURITY AND STORAGE TEMPERATURE ON QUALITY AND POSTHARVEST LIFE OF´SEMSORY´ MUSKMELON FRUIT

Fruit of ‘Semsory’ muskmelon (Cucumis melo L. var. reticulatus) harvested at mature green stage or at first stages of yellow color development on fruit skin were stored at 2.5°C or at 5.5°C with 85-90% RH for 33 days followed by one day at 20°C. Both factors, storage temperature and fruit maturity at harvest, significantly affected fruit attributes.
Fruit harvested at first stages of yellow color development of skin and stored at 2.5°C had high sugar content, good taste and flavor and high marketability value in comparison to fruit harvested at mature green stage and stored at 5.5°C. Fruit harvested at mature green stage and kept at 2.5°C were firmer, but had not good flavor and marketability value because they had low sugar content and yellow color of skin.
Yellow skin color development and flesh taste and flavor improvement in fruit harvested at first stages of yellow color development during the storage period was the reason for high marketability value for these fruits, but since these quality improvements did not take place in mature green fruit they were not marketable.
No chilling injury was observed at 2.5°C.

V International Postharvest Symposium

M. Asghary, M. Babalar, A. Talaei, A. Kashi

fruit marketability, fruit quality, muskmelon, storage life

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2005.682.7