Cherry tomato hybrids should be ripened on the plant prior to harvest

To evaluate the effect of early harvesting on the fruit quality of two commercial cherry tomato hybrids (Conchita F1 and Cherelino F1), fruits were harvested: (1) at the red-ripe stage (RR), (2) at the breaker stage (BR) and held at 25?C in the dark, or (3) at the mature-green stage (MG), treated with ethylene (150 mg l-1 for 48 h, at 25?C in the dark) and held at 25?C under light (2,500 lx) or darkness. During ripening and/ or at full ripeness, fruit quality was evaluated with respect to colour, respiration and ethylene production, firmness and composition (sugars and starch). Fruits of Conchita harvested at the MG stage and held in the light developed a uniform red colour within 7 days of ethylene treatment, whereas Cherelino fruits harvested at the same stage took 5 days longer to mature and failed to redden uniformly. Light proved essential for fruit ripening, since in both genotypes MG and BR fruits held in the dark failed to redden uniformly even 20 days after harvest. In contrast, fruits ripened naturally on the plant exhibited a uniform colour and were firmer than those ripened on the shelf. CO2 and ethylene production of detached MG and BR fruits of both genotypes was high during the initial stages of ripening, but fell with increasing maturation without evidence of a respiratory climacteric. Conchita fruits, which have a longer postharvest life than Cherelino, consistently produced less ethylene during maturation. Starch breakdown during ripening was not affected by postharvest treatments; hence fruit starch content at maturity was invariably low. However, fruits that matured on the plant contained more fructose and glucose than those harvested at stages BR and MG and ripened on the shelf. Consequently, we recommend that cherry tomato hybrids should be ripened on the plant prior to harvest. ? The pictures show fruits of cvs. Conchita and Cherelino harvested at the MG stage, treated with ethylene and ripened ?on the shelf? under light or in the dark. It show that the "artificially" ripened tomatoes did? not attain a?uniform red colouration and are therefore less attractive to consumers.Original title, complete list of authors, and sourcesThe effect of maturity stage at harvest on the ripening and quality characteristics of cherry tomato fruitsI.C. Karapanos1, A.A. Alexopoulos2, M. Chandra1, K.A. Akoumianakis1, H.C. Passam11Laboratory of Vegetable Production, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece2Department of Agricultural Technology, Technological Educational Institute of Peloponnese, Kalamata, Greece V Postharvest Unlimited, ISHS International Conference, 10-13 June 2014, Cyprus, http://web.cut.ac.cy/postharvest/ The pictures were kindly sent by Yiannis Karapanos. ? Key wordsTomate?? ? ?? ?tomato?? ?tamatie?? ???????? ?????? ??? ??? ?????????? ???????? ?tomaat?? ?pomodoro?? ?pomidor?? ??? ?????????? ??? domates?? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ?Poscosecha?? ?postcosecha?? ?postharvest?? ?na-oes?? ??? ??? ???????? ????? ??? ?post-r?colte?? ????? ?? ??????????? ??? ?na-oogst?? ?post-raccolta?? ?Obr?bka po?? ?p?s-colheita?? ????????????????? ?hasat sonras??? ??? ?Ernte?? ????????????????? ????? ????????????? ?postcollita?? ?poskliz?ov頠 ????? ??? ??? ??? ?nakon branja?? ?pozberov頠 ??? ?obdelovanje zemlje po?? ?post-colleita?? ?????? ??????? ?pascapanen?? ??il?onn postharvest?? ??????? ?p?c ra?as?? ?derliaus apdirbimas po?? ?lepas tuai?? ??? ?? ???????? ?post-recoltare?? ??????? ??????? ???????????????????? ?????????????? ?????????????????? ?sau thu ho?ch?? ?????????????????? ?zangemva kwenkathi yokuvuna ? ?