ARS | Publication request: EFFECT OF HARVEST TIME AND RIPENING DEGREE ON QUALITY AND SHELF LIFE OF `HASS¿ AVOCADO

Submitted to: Caribbean Food Crops Society Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: June 3, 2008
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Canada is an important avocado importer country accounting for 12-15% of total avocado exports from Mexico. `Hass¿ avocado is harvested year round in the state of Michoacan. For most part of the season, fruit reach adequate mesocarp dry matter content (DM), ripen properly and consequently, quality and shelf life are excellent. However, after early January fruit DM content increases and skin blackening occurs. Shipments to Canada containing fruit with blackening skin have been rejected since this characteristic is sometimes associated with low pulp firmness and short shelf life. The objective of this experiment was to study the effect of harvest time and ripening degree on initial quality and shelf life of `Hass¿ avocado. Fruit were harvested in October and December, 2007 and from January to April, 2008 and rated according to the following scale: 1 = fully green, 2 = <25% skin blackening, 3 = 26-50% skin blackening, 4 = 51-75% skin blackening and 5 > 76% skin blackening. At harvest, DM, skin color, pulp firmness, and pulp color were evaluated. Fruit were then refrigerated (6.0ºC; 90% RH) for seven days to simulate terrestrial shipment to Canada. After this period, fruit were stored under market conditions (22ºC; 75% RH) until they reached the edible ripening stage. Weight loss (WL), fruit with skin blackening, pulp firmness, and pulp color were determined every three days. Pulp DM, skin color and pulp color significantly increased with harvest time and degree of skin blackening. However, there were no significant differences for WL and firmness. Our results showed that there is no reason for Canadian retailers to reject fruit with blackened skin since fruit quality and shelf life were not affected by harvest time and degree of skin color