Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T07:37:14.907Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of harvest date and ripening degree on quality and shelf life of Hass avocado in Mexico

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 December 2010

Jorge A. Osuna-García ,
Gilles Doyon ,
Samuel Salazar-García ,
Ricardo Goenaga  and
Isidro J.L. González-Durán
Jorge A. Osuna-García
Affiliation:
INIFAP-Campo Exp. Santiago Ixcuintla, A.P. 100, Santiago Ixcuintla, Nayarit 63300, México,
Gilles Doyon
Affiliation:
Food Res. Dev. Centre, Agric. Agri-Food Canada, 3600 Casavant Blvd. West, St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada J2S 8E3
Samuel Salazar-García
Affiliation:
INIFAP-Campo Exp. Santiago Ixcuintla, A.P. 100, Santiago Ixcuintla, Nayarit 63300, México,
Ricardo Goenaga
Affiliation:
USDA-ARS, Trop. Agric. Res. Stn., 2200 P.A. Campos Ave., Suite 201, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 00680-5470, USA
Isidro J.L. González-Durán
Affiliation:
INIFAP-Campo Exp. Santiago Ixcuintla, A.P. 100, Santiago Ixcuintla, Nayarit 63300, México,
Get access

Abstract

Introduction. Canada is an important avocado importer from Mexico. For most of the harvest season, fruit reach adequate pulp dry matter content, ripen properly and, consequently, quality and shelf life are excellent. However, after January, fruit dry matter content increases and blackened skin occurs. Shipments to Canada containing blackened fruit are rejected because this characteristic is wrongly associated with low pulp firmness and short shelf life. The objective of our research was to determine the effect of harvest time and ripening degree on initial quality and shelf life of Hass avocado. Materials and methods. Fruit were harvested from October 2007 to April 2008, and grouped into five ripening categories according to the degree of blackened skin. Fruit were then refrigerated for 7 d to simulate shipment to Canada. Thereafter, fruit were stored under simulated market conditions until they reached the edible ripening stage. Dry matter content was calculated only at the beginning of the storage period while quantification of weight loss, fruit with blackened skin, pulp firmness, and pulp color was done at the beginning of the storage period, at the end of the refrigeration period, and every three days during market conditions. Results and discussion. Dry matter content, skin color and pulp hue angle significantly increased with harvest date and ripening degree. Weight loss decreased with harvest date but increased with ripening degree, while firmness was affected by harvest date but was not associated with ripening degree. Conclusion. There is no reason to reject or downgrade blackened fruit, since quality and shelf life are not affected.

Keywords

MexicoPersea americanafruitsripeningdry matter contentweight lossescolorpeelfirmnessMexiquePersea americanafruitsmûrissageteneur en matière sècheperte de poidscouleurpelurefermetéMéxicoPersea americanafrutasmaduramientocontenido de materia secapérdida de pesocolorpiel (vegetal)firmeza
Type
Original article
Information
Fruits , Volume 65 , Issue 6 , November 2010 , pp. 367 - 375
Copyright
© 2010 Cirad/EDP Sciences

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Salazar-García, S., Zamora-Cuevas, L., Vega-López, R.J., Update on the avocado industry of Michoacán, México, Calif. Avocado Soc. Yearb. 87 (2005) 31–44. Google Scholar
Lee, S.K., Young, R.E, Schiffman P.M., Coggins C.W., Maturity studies of avocado fruit based on picking dates and dry weight, J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci. 108 (3) (1983) 390–394. Google Scholar
Osuna-García J.A., Doyon G., Salazar-García S., González-Durán I.J.L., Goenaga R., Relationship between skin color and some quality characteristics of exportable Hass avocado fruit, in: Proc. 53rd Annu. Meet. Interam. Soc. Trop. Hortic., ISTH, Morelia, México, 2007, p. 93.
Cox, K.A., McGhie, T.K., White, A., Woolf, A.B., Skin colour and pigment changes during ripening of Hass avocado fruit, Postharv. Biol. Technol. 31 (2004) 287–294. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Werman, M.J., Neeman, I., Avocado oil production and chemical characteristics, J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 64 (2) (1987) 229–232. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Erickson, L.C., Eaks, J.L., Porter, G.G., Over-maturity in Hass avocados, Calif. Avocado Soc. Yearb. 54 (1970) 62–65. Google Scholar
Hofman, P.J., Jobin-Décor, M., Giles, J., Percentage of dry matter and oil content are not reliable indicators of fruit maturity or quality in late-harvested Hass avocado, Hort-Science 35 (4) (2000) 694–695. Google Scholar
Ozdemir, F., Topuz, A., Changes in dry matter, oil content and fatty acids composition of avocado during harvesting time and post-harvesting ripening period, Food Chem. 86 (2004) 79–83. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ranney, C., Relationship between physiological maturity and percent dry matter of avocados, Calif. Avocado Soc. Yearb. 75 (1991) 71–85. Google Scholar
Salazar-García S., Floración y fructificación, In: Téliz D., Mora A. (Coord.), El aguacate y su manejo integrado, segundo ed., Ed. Mundi-Prensa, México, 2007, pp. 64–86.
Schroeder, C.A., Physiological gradient in avocado fruit, Calif. Avocado Soc. Yearb. 69 (1985) 137–144. Google Scholar
Lee, S.K., Coggins, C.W., Dry weight method for determination of avocado fruit maturity, Calif. Avocado Soc. Yearb. 66 (1982) 67–70. Google Scholar
Dowdy S., Wearden S., Statistics for Research, John Wiley & Sons, N.Y., U.S.A., 1991.
Anon., SAS user’s guide: Statistics, Version 6.12., SAS Inst., Cary, N.C., U.S.A.,1998.
Erickson, L.C., Eaks, I.L., Porter, G.G., Over-maturity in Hass avocados, Calif. Avocado Soc. Yearb. 54 (1970–71) 62–65. Google Scholar
Schroeder, C.A., Growth and development of the avocado fruit, Calif. Avocado Soc. Yearb. 42 (1958) 114–118. Google Scholar