Abstract
Tomatoes are a high-value crop all over the world, including Ethiopia. Tomato ripening is highly dependent on ethylene action as a climacteric fruit, making this fruit highly perishable in a short period of time. Pre-storage treatments such as CaCl 2 and edible coatings are essential for preserving fruit quality after harvest and extending shelf life. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of CaCl 2 and edible coatings on tomato postharvest quality and shelf life. The experiment was set up in the form of a Complete Randomized Design with three replications. The results revealed that both CaCl 2 and edible coatings had a highly significant (p˂0.01) effect on tomato shelf life and quality. Fruits treated with 6% CaCl 2 and coated with aloe Vera gel and beeswax significantly reduced physiological weight loss (PLW), percentage decay, TSS, pH of tomato juice, and ascorbic acid loss during storage, and increased the shelf life of the fruits by 15 days when compared to the control. The combination of treatments (6 percent CaCl 2 with AG and BW coating) resulted in the highest fruit marketability, firmness, and ascorbic acid levels over the storage period. According to the findings of the study, the combination of treatments 6 percent CaCl 2 with aloe Vera gel or bees wax can be recommended for Shanty tomato in terms of shelf life and quality. Keywords: fruit marketability, pre storage, shelf life, tomato, quality DOI: 10.7176/ALST/89-02 Publication date: August 31 st 2021
Highlights
In tropical agriculture, including Ethiopia, postharvest losses of fresh fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes are incredible (Emana et al, 2017)
The lowest physiological weight loss (PLW) was recorded in 6% CaCl2 + aloe Vera gel (AG) followed by T16 (6% CaCl2 + BW) as compared to other treatments throughout the storage time, the results were not significant on day 25 and 30 after storage
The above result implies that CaCl2 concentration of 6% + both AG and BW applied to tomato fruits are capable of preventing the fruit from weight loss by slowing down transpiration and respiration rate that reducing water loss
Summary
In tropical agriculture, including Ethiopia, postharvest losses of fresh fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes are incredible (Emana et al, 2017). Quantitative evidence is limited at the national level, postharvest tomato loss in Ethiopia is significant, reaching staggering proportions (Tessema, 2013). Edible coatings have been shown to extend the shelf life of fresh produce by forming a semi-permeable barrier to water vapor and gas exchange, resulting in weight loss reduction, respiration rate modification, and senescence delay of coated produce (Prasad et al, 2018). These are non-polluting alternatives for extending the post-harvest shelf life of produce (Mezemir et al, 2017). The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of edible coatings and calcium chloride application on the postharvest quality and shelf life of tomato fruits
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