Abstract
ABSTRACT This paper aims at evaluating the shelf life of mini tomatoes (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) cultivar ‘Sweet Grape’, grown in hydroponics, and stored under environmental and refrigerated conditions inside different packages. We adopted a completely randomized design, in which treatments were combinations of storage conditions: environment (e) and refrigerated (r) with packaging: polyvinyl chloride film (PVC); low-density polyethylene (LDPE); biofilm of tomato fruit of Solanum lycocarpum A.St.-Hil (lobeira) (TFB); cassava starch biofilm (CSB); carnauba wax (Copernicia prunifera) (CW), and without packaging - control (C). Physicochemical and sensory tests were carried out at the beginning (day zero), and at 8, 19, and 33 days of storage (DS). Fruit stored inside PVCr, LDPEe, LDPEr, and CWr had an acceptable shelf life of 33 days. The use of cassava and tomato starches were not effective in controlling fruit fresh weight loss. ‘Sweet Grape’ tomato postharvest conservation was enhanced under refrigerated conditions. The sensory evaluation results revealed that CWr treatment most pleased appraisers, while PCV had the highest rejection rate.
Highlights
The cultivar ‘Sweet Grape’ belongs to the group of mini tomatoes and has distinctive size and taste, which is recommended to be harvested at a minimum Brix degree of 6.0 and with an average fresh weight of 12 g per fruit
Cultivar ‘Sweet Grape’, were grown in hydroponic system under greenhouses located at the Academic Unit of Exact and Technological Sciences, which belongs to the State University of Goiás (UnUCET/ UEG), in Anápolis – GO, Brazil
Results showed an average weight of 16.37 g fruit-1, which is within a range of 10 to 20 g fruit-1; this value was higher than that of 9 g fruit-1 found by ABRAHÃO et al (2011b)
Summary
The cultivar ‘Sweet Grape’ belongs to the group of mini tomatoes and has distinctive size and taste, which is recommended to be harvested at a minimum Brix degree of 6.0 and with an average fresh weight of 12 g per fruit. The Brazilian production is estimated at 1,700 tons and the latest estimates predict a total of 89,000 tons in 2013 (JUNQUEIRA, 2011). This vegetable is very attractive and has high added value, encouraging farmers to invest in modern technologies that would raise productivity (ABRAHÃO et al, 2011a; ABRAHÃO et al, 2011b). The crop has been grown in greenhouses using a flow-through hydroponic system In this model, plants are cultivated in pots or bags without ground contact, providing an enhanced control of nutrition and diseases (RIBEIRO, 2011), mainly at locations within the Midwest and Southeastern Brazil, where production cycle ranges from 6 to 8 months and yield rates varies between 6 and 10 kg plant-1 cycle-1. According to RINALDI et al (2011), a potentially viable alternative for fruit and vegetable preservation is the usage of refrigeration for storage; this method reduces temperature and relative humidity, delaying deterioration by decreasing the cellular metabolism. FERREIRA et al (2010) reported that besides influencing postharvest ripening and postharvest life, tomato ripeness degree plays a significant role in consumer choice, along with the size, shape, and external defects, which may change due to production and storage factors
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
