Impact of Evaporative cooling technology and Post-harvest treatments on shelf life and quality of tomato of two different harvesting stages (Solanum lycopersicum var. Pearson)

Abstract

The Zero Energy Cool Chamber (ZECC) is the needed evaporative cooling system introduced as one of the economical small scale on-farm storage in Afghanistan for enhancing the shelf life of tomato and other fresh crops. Tomato is one of the highest value crops, and due to excellent flavor, higher juice, and pulp content of tomato fruits of “Pearson” variety makes it further valuable. Hence, this study aims to understand the effect of ZECC and postharvest treatments on shelf life and quality of tomato’s fruits harvested at turning and light red colors’ stages. Fruits were treated with different concentrations of CaCl2 and mint leaf extract solutions and kept in both ZECC and ambient storages. The shelf life of tomato fruits extended up to 29 days under T4 (turning color fruits + 6% CaCl2 + ZECC). Under the same treatment, the highest firmness as 840.0 grcm-2   and the lowest PLW, Decay Losses and TSS were recorded as 1.80%, 0.0% and 4.400 brix, respectively; on the 20th day of the storage. The lowest shelf life under T11 (Light red color fruits + distilled water dip + Ambient condition) was about 8 days. As a result, the ZECC as an evaporative cooling system significantly enhanced the shelf life and maintained the quality of tomato fruits harvested at the turning color stage treated with 6% CaCl2.