RAPHANUS SATIVUS PRODUCTION IN SOILLESS OR TRADITIONAL CULTURE SYSTEMS AND POSTHARVEST PACKAGING

Abstract

Radish is commercialized fresh in bundles or bulk but can be conditioned in packages, to give an added value to the fresh product. Different cultural systems were investigated to optimize radish root production and quality, and postharvest shelf-life. 'Jolly' and 'Tabasso' radishes were grown in two cultural systems: soilless culture system (SCS) and traditional culture system (TCS). At harvest, root fresh and dry weight, length, diameter, and nitrate content were measured. Macroperforated and thermo-shrinkable films were used to package roots from the SCS system for postharvest shelf-life in cool chamber. No significant interaction cultivar by culture system was found for any parameter, while culture system was always significant; cultivar influenced dry matter, root length and diameter, and nitrate content. Fresh weight of roots grown in the SCS was greater than that in the TCS (12 vs. 8 g per root, respectively); dry matter was lower in roots grown in SCS than that in TCS (4.7 vs. 5.6%). Nitrate content was lower in roots grown in the SCS than that in the TCS (211 vs. 445 mg kg -1 f.w.) and lower in roots of 'Jolly' than in that of 'Tabasso' (266 vs. 390 mg kg' f.w.). During postharvest fresh weight of radishes packaged with macroperforated films decreased rapidly, loosing ca 8% of value every four days, reaching a final decrease of 33%; fresh weight of radishes in thermo-shrinkable film was slightly reduced over time, reaching a final decrease of 3%. At the end of shelf-life fresh weight loss was significantly different between the two types of packaging. Absence of free air into the thermo-shrinkable package could have reduced respiration loss. SCS can be a suitable system to grow high quality radish; thermo-shrinkable films might be used to preserve root turgor during shelf-life.