| Shelf life
extension of tomato fruits by postharvest antioxidant application |
Arava
Bhagwan,Reddy, Y. N.,Rao, P. V.,Mohankumar, K. C.
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| Department of
Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural
University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad - 500 003, India. |
| The effect of
postharvest application of ascorbic acid, sodium benzoate, and
benzyladenine at two levels of concentration on the days to ripening,
shelf life, and various physicochemical properties was studied.
Benzyladenine at 50 ppm improved the shelf life to 42 days, followed by
benzyladenine at 25 ppm (37 days) and sodium benzoate at 1000 ppm (35
days), compared to the control (26 days). Physiological weight loss
increased throughout the storage period while sugars, total soluble
solids (TSS), and acidity increased up to the 14th day and then declined
in the control and treated fruits. Treatments that improved the shelf
life maintained better fruit quality in terms of higher reducing
sugars, TSS, and acidity. Peak ethylene production reached the 14th
(7.43 nl g-1 h-1) day in benzyladenine at 50 ppm and on the 11th day
(6.75 nl g-1 h-1) in sodium benzoate at 1000 ppm when compared to the
11th day (8.15 nl g-1 h-1) in the control. The reduced and delayed peak
ethylene production in benzyladenine- and sodium-benzoate-treated
fruits might be responsible for delayed ripening and improved shelf life. |
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