‘Hass’ Avocado Internal Disorders under Simulated Export Conditions and Its Relationship with Flesh Mineral Content and Preharvest Variables

Johanna V Escobar,Misael Cortes,Tatiana Rondon,Pablo Rodríguez,Guillermo Correa

doi:10.3390/horticulturae7040077

Johanna V Escobar, Misael Cortes + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7040077

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Abstract

The most important issues that affect consumer fruit acceptance in the ‘Hass’ avocado international market are flesh disorders. These defects can be influenced by both pre- and postharvest factors. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of the harvest season, storage time, mineral content, and preharvest variables on internal fruit disorders. Here, fruit was sampled from four farms in Antioquia (Colombia) at 22%, 26%, and 30% dry matter (DM) content. Samples were stored and ripened under simulated export conditions. Then, flesh bruising, flesh discoloration, body rots, vascular browning, stem end rot, and mineral content were assessed. The results showed that flesh disorders differ among farms and by harvest index and storage time. The most frequent defects found were vascular browning and stem end rot. Boron, calcium, nitrogen, manganese, magnesium, and potassium have a strong relationship with flesh disorders. Therefore, high boron and calcium contents, as well as a harvest at 26% DM, can substantially reduce avocado flesh disorders and improve internal fruit quality. Farmers that had a high flesh and soil mineral content and low rainfall and temperature produced fruits with fewer internal disorders.

Highlights

Internal disorders were different among the farms studied [24]
Fruits harvested from the LE farm had the highest presence of stem rot (p < 0.05), while EB farms had a low stem end rot incidence (Figure 1B)
The results indicate that at a higher mineral content, the severity of flesh bruising damage will be lower, especially for farms in the northern Antioquia region harvested at the beginning of the season with nonstorage (BV) or storage for five weeks (CS)

Summary

Introduction

There is an opportunity for producer countries such as Mexico, Peru, Chile, and Colombia, among others, to enter different markets Fruit that makes it to market shows internal quality issues such as anthracnose, flesh browning, and stem end rot that are only seen when the fruit is “ready to eat”. Those problems can affect consumers’ future purchase decisions, according to Gamble et al [2] and Bosio, [3], who found that maturity, appearance, and price are the most relevant factors for the consumer when making a decision whether to buy an avocado fruit

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