JOURNAL OF ORNAMENTAL PLANTS (JOURNAL OF ORNAMENTAL AND HORTICULTURAL PLANTS)
Year:2012 | Volume:2 | Issue:4|Papers Count:8

Effect of different fruit position on postharvest quality of F1 hybrid redfleshed watermelon Hi-U 16 was examined. In this study only one main vine was trained and maintained. The plants were allowed to set three fruits naturally at the first (8th - 11th nodes), second (13th - 16th nodes) and third (18th - 21th nodes) position. Fruits were harvested at 35 days after anthesis. Fruit weight, diameter, skin glossiness, skin and flesh colour, soluble solids concentration, firmness, pH, titratable acidity and vitamin C were determined. Fruit from second position was heavier and larger than fruit at first position followed by third position. Fruit position affected watermelon flesh lightness where flesh of first fruit position was darker than second and third position. Soluble solids concentration and firmness of fruits decreased as fruit position increased. Fruit pH decreased with increasing fruit position order while titratable acidity showed contrary trend. In addition, fruit position had no significant (pë0.05) effect on skin color and glossiness and vitamin C of the fruit. In conclusion, the results indicated that different fruit positions affected postharvest quality of watermelon and the greatest effect was on soluble solids concentration and fruit weight which was the important characteristic for high quality of watermelon.

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This study was conducted during 2008-2009 to investigate the influence of different organic nutrient combinations on yields and quality of strawberry cv. Kurdistan in Iran. The experiment comprised of five organic nutrient treatment combinations including the recommended dose of N, P and K through chemical fertilizer as control. Treatment N2 (manure+Azotobacter+ woodash+phosphorus solubilizing bacteria+oil cake) improvedsignificantly quality of fruit about diameter (3.11cm), length (3.95 cm), volume (20.397 cm3), weight (11.11g), total sugars (7.95%), total soluble solids (TSS) (9.01o Brix), acidity (0.857), TSS: acidity ratio) (11.12) and yields (238.95 g/plant).

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Watercress is a leafy vegetable of the family Brassicaceae that grows in and around water, it has a short shelf life (approximately seven days) and it is consumed raw or steamed. The objective of this work was to study the effect of packaging film and different storage temperature on the postharvest quality of watercress minimally processed. Treatments were: packed with plain film (PD961EZ, 31mm thickness), non perforated and perforated (perforated area percentage 0.3%, hole diameter 1.1mm) and stored in refrigerated chambers at 1 ± 0.5 oC and 8 ± 2 oC (optimal storage temperature vs market temperature) for 10 days. Overall visual quality, gas concentration inside the packages, color Hunter lab parameters and weight loss were evaluated. Overall visual quality, gas concentration and weight loss were significantly affected by treatment, storage time and temperature. Color parameters did not show a clear tendency. In conclusion, non perforated PDZ 961 film was suitable for preserving watercress quality at the tested storage temperatures and in both temperatures, the overall visual quality was maintained above the limit values of commercial acceptability. The perforated film was no suitable for the packaging of watercress at any of the tested temperatures, mainly due to significant weight loss that reduce the overall visual quality of the product less than limit of acceptability by the consumers.

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