ศูนย์นวัตกรรมเทคโนโลยีหลังการเก็บเกี่ยว

Synchronization of fruit ripening in coffee with low concentrations of ethephon.

Crisosto, C. H.; Grantz, D. A.; Osgood, R. V.; Cid, L. R.;

Postharvest Biology and Technology Year: 1992 Vol: 1 Issue: 4 Pages: 371-378 Ref: 20 ref.

1992

บทคัดย่อ

Ethephon was applied to 2-year-old arabica coffee (cv. Guatemalan) plants when the first mature fruits on the bearing branches were turning red. Applications of 100 and 200 mg/litre significantly accelerated ripening. Fifteen days after application, ethephon treatment had increased the harvest from 15% of the yearly total harvest to 33%. Fruit removal force (FRF) was reduced by 30-50% and about 15% more ripe fruit was mechanically harvested from the ethephon-treated plants than the untreated plants. Beyond 15 days after application there were no residual effects of ethephon on fruit ripening and FRF. Ethephon accelerated leaf abscission, but only from the fruit-bearing branches. These effects on leaf abscission persisted longer than 15 days after application. The quality of the processed coffee, as assessed by a taste panel, was not affected by ethephon treatment although the percentage of beans in the largest size category was reduced. It is suggested that, under Hawaiian conditions, application of 100 mg ethephon/litre at the onset of the fruit ripening period has considerable potential for shortening the harvest period and improving the selectivity for mechanical harvest, without inducing detrimental leaf abscission.