Effects of maturity, storage temperature, ripening temperature and forced, hot-air treatment on the quality of papaya fruits (Carica papaya L. cv. Tainung No. 2).
Shiesh ChingChang;
Journal of the Chinese Society for Horticultural Science
2001
บทคัดย่อ
The objective of this study was to establish postharvest handling operations and system for export pawpaw (Carica papaya cv. Tainung No. 2). Green mature fruits developed yellow skin colour during ripening, but these did not shoe the same skin colour and total soluble solid content as the more mature fruits. In addition, the pre-climacteric period of mature green fruits was longer than those of quarter yellow or half yellow fruits. There was no difference in quality between quarter yellow and half yellow fruits when ripe. For export, fruits are harvested at colour break, or between colour break and quarter yellow colour, to obtain maximum fruit life and quality. Ethylene-treated pawpaws ripened faster and more uniformly (in terms of pulp colour, softening and degreening) in bulk. The optimum ripening conditions for fruit ripening were 30 deg C and >90% RH, with fruits taking 4-8 days to reach full yellow skin colour at the mature green, quarter yellowing and half yellowing stages. Pawpaws are sensitive to chilling injury. Symptoms include failure to ripen and develop colour normally. The critical temperature at which injury does not occur can be as low as 12 deg C. A temperature of above approx equal to 12 deg C appeared to be required for fruits harvested at one quarter yellow colour stage and shipped within a period of up to 14 days. For quarantine treatment against fruit fly, a 'forced hot air treatment' has been approved. The treatment was developed using a single air temperature of 49 plus or minus 0.5 deg C for 250 minutes until the fruit centre temperature reached 47.2 deg C. The ripening quality was not significantly affected by forced hot air treatment.