Effect of harvesting and storage conditions on the post harvest quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) cv. Roma VF

The study was conducted to undertake the effect of harvesting stage and storage conditions on the post harvest quality of tomato cv. Roma VF (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) during the process of ripening in storage. Fruit of three maturity stages such as mature green (mature but green in color), half ripen (breaker stage when fruit turns to yellow) and full ripen (yellow and soft, edible stage) were kept under three different conditions; open condition (control), covering with white polythene and finally treatment by CaC2+ polythene. High and significant variation was observed in quality characteristics under different harvesting stages, storage conditions and their combinations. The highest value for rotting and total sugar content was distinguished in full ripens tomato. The highest weight loss and shelf life was measured in mature green. The half ripen tomato showed the highest value of vitamin C and titrable acidity. The percentage of decay (rotting) and weight loss, pH, titrable acidity and total sugar were increased with gradual increasing of storage time, irrespective to maturity stages while the percentage of vitamin C was decreased with progressing time of storage. The highest value of weight loss, shelf life and titrable acidity was recorded in control treatment. The high decay (rotting percent) and total sugar content was recorded under CaC2+ polythene covering treatment while the highest vitamin C content and pH was measured in simple polythene covering treatment at the final observation day (15th day). The values of all parameters except for vitamin C were increased gradually with the exceeding of storage time irrespective to storage condition. Tomato plants placed under CaC2+ treatment, covered with polythene have shown the highest decay, titrable acidity and total sugar content at the final observation day.