Zeitschrift für Ernährung und Lebensmittelwissenschaften
Offener Zugang
ISSN: 2155-9600
ISSN: 2155-9600
RK Dhall and Pricedeep Singh
The investigation was carried out to obtain information about effect of ethephon and ethylene gas on ripening and quality of winter tomato (cv. Hybrid-1001). The mature green tomatoes were treated with different concentrations of aqueous solution of ethephon (500, 1000 and 1500 ppm) for 5 minutes, thereafter packed in plastic crates and kept in storage room at 20 ± 1°C and 90-95% RH. In another experiment, mature green tomatoes were exposed to ethylene gas (100 ppm) inside the ripening chamber for 24 hours (20 ± 1°C and 90-95% RH) and thereafter kept in the ripening chamber maintained at 20 ± 1°C and 90-95% RH. The physico-chemical parameters of fruits from mature green to senescent stage of maturation were analyzed. The ethylene gas (100 ppm) treatment registered the highest ripening percentage. The ripening and rotting percentage increased with increase in the concentration of ethephon (500-1500 ppm) and with the duration of days for which the fruits were kept for ripening. The titratable acidity of fruits experienced a linear decline but ascorbic acid and lycopene content registered an increase with the advancement of ripening period irrespective of any treatment. The fruits harvested at green mature stage get successfully ripened in 9 days with application of ethephon but the rotting was more than 14% till 9th day which makes fruits unmarketable. Therefore, the application of ethephon for ripening is not a good option. Treatment with ethylene gas (100 ppm) resulted in adequate ripening of fruits after 9 days with uniform red colour, desirable firmness, minimum rotting and acceptable quality and therefore this treatment is better over ethephon. In control fruits similar results of ripening, firmness, rotting and quality were observed as in case of ethylene gas (100 ppm) treatment but the fruits get longer time (11 days) to uniformly ripen.