Sprouting of Chayote Fruit as Influenced by Passive Modified Atmosphere Packaging and Different Postharvest Chemical Treatments

Abstract

Chayote is one of the vegetable crops in the Philippines with inadequate local information on its sprouting inhibition or promotion upon application of some postharvest treatments. Newly harvested chayote fruit were applied with either passive modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) using cling wrap, 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) (500 and 2500 μL·L-1), ethephon (100 and 500 μL·L-1) or gibberellic acid (GA3) (100 and 500 μL·L-1) and stored at ambient conditions (26.51±1.38 °C and 81.11±7.03% relative humidity) to evaluate its sprouting and other postharvest characteristics. Results revealed that untreated chayote sprouted in 13.5 days while passive MAP delayed the onset of sprouting by eight days. Sprouts were longest when treated with 500 μL·L-1 ethephon and shortest when fumigated with 2500 μL·L-1 1-MCP. 1-MCP promoted the occurrence of decay and higher weight loss resulting in faster deterioration of quality and shorter shelf life. Starch content did not vary. Cling-wrapped fruit maintained its quality longer because of delayed sprouting and lesser weight loss but also promoted an early onset of decay.