Abstract
Indigenous fruits constitute a very important part in the food basket of the household farming community in South Africa. Household growers of white peach landrace in KwaZulu-Natal at Impendle Local Municipality suffer major losses due to lack of maturity indices that would allow them to predict and plan for harvesting dates. As a result, the fruit is harvested later than its physiologically correct date and processing becomes difficult when the fruit is overripe or spoilt. Extension services do not have enough information on such fruit quality parameters to assist the farmers. With the aim of developing and promoting the value chain in household farming, this study identified physical and chemical parameters linked to peach landrace maturity in relation to extension. Maturity and ripening related parameters were determined. Fruit reached maturity 129 days after full bloom (DAFB) and this coincided with mass, volume and moisture content at respective stages of 80.00 g, 55.20 cm 3 , and 83%. Firmness decreased significantly from 79.00 N to 24.70 N during ripening. Total soluble solids (TSS) increased from 13.5 to 19.00 °Brix. The pH value decreased from 3.40 to 4.00. The TSS:TA (titrable acidity-TA) ratio increased from 21.11 to 35.84. The results showed that DAFB, firmness, mass, TSS, volume, and TSS:TA ratio have potential to be used in relation to extension for maturity indexing of white landrace peach fruit as parameters to determine the maturity indices and quality of the smallholder farmer. Keywords: Extension services, Local informal market, Degree of ripeness, Postharvest quality, Maturity
Highlights
A robust triangular connection between a household farmer and extension, research and extension, and farmer and researcher ensure a smooth transition in research technology transfer and adoption to the household farming community
Fruitlets marked after full bloom to determine the number of days to maturity resulted in fruit reaching maturation at 129 days, a constant mass averaged at 80 g and volume averaged at 55.20 cm3
It was conclusive that the fruit reaches maturity and starts ripening at 129 days after full bloom and this is one of the parameters that can be used by small-scale peach growers to estimate the harvest dates for their peach crop at Impendle
Summary
A robust triangular connection between a household farmer and extension, research and extension, and farmer and researcher ensure a smooth transition in research technology transfer and adoption to the household farming community. Small-scale fruit producers, unlike the commercial farms, lack the simplest means to identify the maturity of many different fruit types in South Africa. The peach fruit grown by small-scale growers in KwaZulu-Natal is not an exception. The methods used in the commercial sector are complex and unaffordable to the small-scale growers and as a result not adopted. 19 Discipline of Crop Science, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of extension officer to advise household farmers with interest to supply fresh and processed peaches to local informal markets. Such information is very important when handling highly perishable fresh produce such as peach fruits. It enables the farmers to decide when to expect first harvest and be able to plan for the entire process of processing or supplying the markets
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