REFRIGERATION OF SAPOTE MAMEY [Pouteria sapota (Jacq.) H. E. Moore & Stearn] FRUITS HARVESTED ON DIFFERENT DATES IN TABASCO, MÉXICO

Abstract

Sapote mamey [Pouteria sapota (Jacq.) H.E. Moore & Stearn] fruits at physiological maturity were harvested in Jalpa de Méndez, Tabasco, at different dates (15, 22 April, 5, 12 May), in order to study their postharvest behavior after storage at 12 ºC, and 95 % RH, for 14, 21, 28 and 35 d; additionally, in each harvest date a group of fruits was maintained at ambient temperature (30 ± 2 ºC) as control. Variables considered were: days to ripening, respiration and ethylene production, total sugar concentration, pulp color (hue angle), which were measured at ambient temperature. Control fruits ripened 4 or 5.6 d after harvest, while fruits stored at 12 ºC between 14 and 35 d ripened 4 or 1 d after the storage period; the fruits harvested after April 15 ripened 1 or 2 d earlier. Fruits from the two harvest dates showed a climacteric pattern with maximum values of 219 and 365 mL kg ^-1 h^-1 CO2 and 161.5 and 503 µL kg^-1 h^-1 for ethylene. In the two last harvest dates only the postclimacteric phase was observed. Total sugars increased in concentration 3 to 5 times during ripening, and no effect of harvest date was observed. In fruits harvested in April, the hue angle values of color were higher, between 73.3 and 80.6, compared to fruits harvested in May which varied between 71.6 and 61.2. Storage at 12 ºC did not induce chilling injury symptoms but allowed to increase postharvest life in more than 28 d. The postharvest behavior varied with harvest date.