Effect of Different Concentrations of the Gibberellic Acid and Calcium Chloride Dipping on Quality and Shelf-life of Kochoro Variety Tomato

Abstract

Tomato is a highly perishable horticultural produce; post-harvest management is very crucial to maintain the quality and to extend shelf life. In view of this, the present research was carried out to determine the effect of gibberellic acid (GA3) (0.075, 0.1, and 0.125%) and calcium chloride (CaCl2) (1, 1.5, and 2%) treatments on quality and shelf life of tomato (Kochoro variety) in two (green matured and pink) ripening stages. The experiment was carried out involving two factors (treatment and ripening stage) arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The treated fruits were stored at room temperature and the data on quality and shelf life was collected once in every 5 d. The data were analyzed using SAS version 9.8 for analysis of variance (ANOVA) and correlation. The mean temperature and relative humidity throughout the storage period were reported as 24.67 °C and 55.48%, respectively. The results of the study showed that the least color changes (1.16) and (1.38) were observed for the fruits treated with 1.5% CaCl2 in green mature (20 d of storage) and pink (15 d of storage) stages. Treatments of 0.1% GA3 and 1.5% CaCl2 effectively maintained the firmness of tomato fruits in green matured (0.7 kg/cm2) and pink (0.5 kg/cm2) stages by 20 d of storage duration. Treatment of 1% and 1.5% of CaCl2 on green matured tomato samples reported only 20% of the decay by 20 d of storage; however, control samples reported 60% of decay. Finally, from this study, it was concluded that postharvest treatments are significant in maintaining the quality and shelf life of the tomatoes in the green stage up to 20 d. Treatment with 1.5% CaCl2 and 0.125% GA3 is effective to prolong the storage life and quality of pink tomato; in the case of the green mature stage, treatment with 0.125% GA3 showed maximum shelf life.