Biotemas (Sep 2008)
Tolerance to chilling and postharvest quality of ‘Pedro Sato’ guavas submitted to thermal conditioning
Abstract
The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of thermal conditioning on the chilling tolerance and quality of ‘Pedro Sato’ guavas stored at 2ºC. The treatments evaluated were: 30 days at 10ºC (control); 30 days at 2ºC; one day at 45ºC + 29 days at 2ºC; two days at 45ºC + 28 days at 2ºC; two days at 35ºC + 28 days at 2ºC. After 30 days of storage plus three days at 20ºC, the firmness of the flesh and the titratable acidity were highest in the treatments with thermal conditioning. The incidence of rot was higher in fruits stored for 30 days at 10ºC and those kept for two days at 35ºC, and weight loss was higher in fruits kept for two days at 45ºC. Fruits stored for 30 days at 2ºC and those kept at 45ºC, before storage at 2ºC, did not show substantial alterations in the color of the peel during storage or shelf life, which can be associated with chilling injury.
