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The effects of physical
and chemical changes on the optimum harvest maturity in some
avocado cultivars
Ahmet Erhan Özdemir*, Elif
Ertürk Çandır, Celil Toplu, Mustafa Kaplankıran,
Turan Hakan Demirkeser and
Ercan Yıldız
Mustafa
Kemal University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of
Horticulture, 31034 Antakya, Hatay, Turkey.
*Corresponding author. E-mail: erhan@mku.edu.tr,
aerhanozdemir@gmail.com. Tel: +90 326-245 5849. Fax: +90
326-245 5832.
Accepted
5 March, 2009 |
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The aim of this study was to determine physical and chemical
changes during fruit development and their relationship with
optimum harvest maturity for Bacon, Fuerte and Zutano
avocado cultivars grown under Dörtyol ecological condition.
Fruits cv. Bacon, Fuerte and Zutano were obtained trees
grafted on seedlings and planted 5 m x 6 m in Dörtyol
Research Station of Faculty of Agriculture, Mustafa Kemal
University. Fruit width and length, weight, skin and flesh
color (L* and hue), total soluble solid (TSS), titratable
acidity (TA), TSS/TA, fruit flesh firmness, juice pH, dry
weight and oil content were measured on fruits samples
collected from tagged trees from June drop to ripening at a
15 days interval during fruit development. Data indicated
that oil and dry matter content, flesh firmness and fruit
weight were important criteria in determining optimum
harvest maturity. Based on the all criteria, the period from
the end of November to middle of December was the optimum
harvest time for these cultivars in order to deliver fruit
at optimum commercial maturity and quality and to obtain
adequate storage time.
Key
words:
Dörtyol, avocado, quality, harvest time. |
