ISHS Acta Horticulturae 467: III International Symposium Diversification of Vegetable Crops
VARIATION IN CHILLING SUSCEPTIBILITY OF JICAMA ROOTS |
| Authors: | E. Mercado-Silva, V. Rubatzky, M.I. Cantwell |
| Keywords: | Pachyrhizus erosus, storage temperatures, internal color, firmness, decay |
| Abstract:
Jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus) is a traditional root vegetable of Mexico. Important quality characteristics include a smooth well shaped root, freedom from mechanical damage to the peel, and a crisp white flesh. No chilling injury is observed on roots stored 3 to 4 weeks at 13°C. At lower storage/transit temperatures, chilling injury of jicama is manifested in various ways: after removing from 0°C storage, texture is “rubbery” and roots decay rapidly; after 5°C storage, external decay and internal graying of the pulp are common; and after 10°C storage, external quality is typically not affected but severe internal discoloration can occur. All these symptoms of chilling injury are observed on jicama exported and distributed in the United States. A selection of cultivar Agua Dulce grown on the west coast of Mexico had a well developed peel, a starchy flesh, and required 3 weeks at 10°C to show significant internal browning and 2 weeks at 5°C to show chill-induced external decay. Another selection of the same cultivar grown in the Bajio area of central Mexico had a crisper more succulent flesh but after <1 week at 10°C showed significant internal browning and changes in texture. | |
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