Effects of pre- and post harvest treatments on changes in sugar content of tomato

Abstract

The present investigation was aimed at evaluating the combined effect of pre- and post harvest disinfection and evaporatively coolled storage on the changes in sugar content of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill). The preharvest treatments used were ComCat®, manure, NP and the combinations of ComCat® with the two forms of fertilizers and a control. The tomatoes were periodically analyzed for reducing sugar and total sugar. Preharvest ComCat® and ComCat® + manure
treatments improved the quality of tomato in terms of maintaining higher (P < 0.05) leveles of sugar during storage. Storage at ambient conditions resulted in rapid change in sugar that resulted in quality
deterioration of tomatoes. Disinfection seemed to have very limited effect on the changes in sugar content of tomatoes during storage. Two-way interactions between preharvest and storage conditions
on changes in total sugar were significant at P < 0.05 level during the first week of storage and at P <0.001, thereafter. In general, maintenance of higher reducing sugar and total sugar in tomatoes was
found to be the benefits of the combined effect of preharvest treatments and evaporatively cooled storage.