Environmental conditions observed in the packing house may result in table grape dehydration, which accelerates the loss of fruit quality during storage

The aim of this study was to characterize the thermal environment in the selection and?packing areas of a packing house and its effects on the quality of table grapes produced in?the S?o Francisco Valley, Brazil.? The thermal environment was monitored during the winter?and summer seasons. The highest value of air temperature (Tair) and the lowest relative??humidity (RH) observed in the packing house were 35?C and 40.0%, respectively, obtained?during the summer, for 8 h. After observing the thermal environment data of the packing?house, simulations were performed to evaluate the effect of the ideal environmental storage?conditions and observed thermal conditions on the postharvest quality of ?Thompson?grapes. Grapes were harvested and stored directly at the ideal temperature and RH of 0?C?and 90%, respectively, or previously exposed to a temperature of 35?C and RH of 40% for 8 h,?the thermal environment observed in the evaluated packing house, followed by storage at?0 ?C and 90% RH. Fruit exposure to high temperature and low RH before the ideal storage?conditions resulted in higher loss of berry firmness and weight, along with increased soluble?solids and dry matter content of rachis and berry. Based on these results, the environmental?conditions observed in the packing house result in berry dehydration, which accelerates the?loss of fruit quality during storage. ? Figure shows analysis in temperature (?C) of kriging in the packing house selection areas at 10:00 am (A), 1:00 pm (B), and 3:00 pm (C) in the winter, and 10:00 am (D), 1:00 pm (E), and 3:00 pm (F) in the summer (the original figure, in better quality, is available in the original paper, below) SourceEnvironmental variables in packing houses and their effects on the quality of grapesOsvaldo C. Vasconcelos1, Cristiane Dacanal2, S?lvia H. N. Turco1, Sergio T. Freitas3, Cl?vis M. C. Ramos1 & Paula M. L. de Lima21, Universidade Federal do Vale do S?o Francisco/Departamento de Engenharia Agr?cola. Juazeiro, BA. E-mail: eng.osvaldocampelo@hotmail.com(Corresponding author); silvia.turco@univasf.edu.br; clovis.ramos@univasf.edu.br2, Universidade Federal do Vale do S?o Francisco/Departamento de Engenharia Agron?mica. Petrolina, PE. E-mail: cristiane.dacanal@univasf.edu.br;?paulamaria_lima@hotmail.com3, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecu?ria/Embrapa Semi?rido/Laborat?rio de Fisiologia e Tecnologia P?s-Colheita. PetrolinaRevista Brasileira de Engenharia Agr?cola e Ambiental, v.22, n.2, p.125-130, 2018?