Maturation Flashcards
Maturation
“the transient phase of development from near
completion of physical growth to attainment of
physiological maturity
Physiological Maturity
“the stage when a fruit is capable of
further development or ripening when
it is harvested”
Horticultural/Commercial Maturity
the stage of development when plant
and plant part possesses the prerequisites for use by consumers for a
particular purpose”
Maturity Assessments
Computational methods
Physical methods
Chemical methods
Physiological methods
Computational Methods
Calendar Date
Accumulated Heat Units
T-STAGES
Accumulated heat units
a unit of measurement used to describe the cumulative effect of temperature over time. Based on the temp
effect on flowering, growth and development of fruits
Tstage
based on the angle of pedicel
more than 90 degree
early growth
equals 90 degree
t stage
less than 90 degree
advancemnet in development
Physical Methods
Peduncle Strength
Fruit Size
Surface morphology
Peduncle Strength
“the force required to pull the
fruit from tree at maturity
stage at the natural abscission
site”
Physical Methods
Fruit shape
Specific gravity
Skin color
Fruit firmness
Juice content
Chemical Methods
Sugar content
Sugar/acid ratio
Starch iodine test
Astringenct
Oil content
Physiological Methods
Respiration rate
Ethylene evolution rate
Ethylene evolution rate
To be used with other maturity indices to
indicate potential for immediate
consumption or long term storage
Respiration rate
Observation of the preclimacteric minimum (PCM) period (at a minimum level of CO2 production rate, sudden increase in the rate is seen as a reliable indicator)
Other factors to be considered: firnmess, texture, flavor
What to consider?
Easy to follow
Identify a feature(s) that relates to maturation stages
Non-destructive vs. Destructives
Relate to the quality
Relate to shelf life
Can be either subjectives or objectives
Economically feasible
Challenges?
Different cultivar shave different maturation stages
Agricultural practices
Geographical locations: soil
conditions, fertilization, etc.
Subjective measurement require well-trained personnel (to avoid losses)
