Controlled Ripening and Storage on Physical Characteristics of Tomato

Abstract

Controlled ripening produces uniform high-quality tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit. A study was undertaken to investigate effects of controlled ripening and storage on physical characteristics of tomato, cvs. Varka bahar-1 (VB1) and Varkha bahar-2 (VB2). Fruit were harvested at breaker stage and ripening treatments of ethylene gas (0.01%), ethephone (0.05%), and ethephone (0.1%) were applied. Fruit were ripened at 20 ± 1°C and 90%–95% relative humidity (RH) for 6 days. After ripening, fruit were shifted to storage conditions (12 ± 1°C and 90%–95% RH) for 15 days. Samples were taken at 3-day intervals during ripening and storage to determine weight loss, percentage rot, penetration force, compression force, and color. Days of ripening and storage, treatment, and cultivar affected the results. Fruit exposed to ethylene gas (0.01%) at 20 ± 1°C and 90%–95% RH was the best ripening treatment. Postripening, tomato storage at 12 ± 1°C and 90%–95% RH could be for up to 15 days. Both cvs. Varkha bahar-1 and Varkha bahar-2 had a satisfactory response toward ripening. Treatment with ethylene gas can be used to ripen tomato fruit in winter to obtain high-quality and uniformly ripened fruit.