ISHS Acta Horticulturae 485: International Symposium Effect of Pre- & Postharvest factors in Fruit Storage
DEVELOPMENT AND MATURATION OF THE APPLE OF EARLY DWARF CASHEW TREE CCP-76 |
| Authors: | R.E. Alves, F.C. Bezerra, F.A.P. Abreu, H.A.C. Filgueiras |
| Keywords: | Anacardium occidentale L., eating quality, vitamin C, tannins, reducing sugars, titratable acidity |
| Abstract:
After cashew fruit (nut) is fully developed, the apple greatly increases in size and goes through a series of changes that lead to ripening. Although the early dwarf cashew tree CCP-76 is already a commercial crop in Brazil, knowledge of the development and maturation of the apple is very limited. In January 1995, cashews (nut + apple) were harvested at EMBRAPA's experimental station located in Pacajus, Ceará state, Brazil, and separated according to the apple skin colour into seven developmental stages: 1) green with green nut, 2) green with ripe dry nut, 3) light green, 4) yellow colour started, 5) yellow changing to orange, 6) light orange, 7) deep orange. The following characteristics of the apple were evaluated: weight, length, upper and lower diameter, soluble solids (SS), reducing sugars, titratable acidity (TA), pH, vitamin C, tannins and chlorophyll. As expected, after full development of the nut, the apple increased significantly in size. Maximum eating quality, i.e. highest SS and reducing sugars contents, lowest TA and highest SS/TA ratio was associated with stage 7. During maturation cashew apples decreased in total chlorophyll and increased in vitamin C content. Tannins did not change significantly and pH was also kept stable. It is concluded that clone CCP-76 produces cashew apples of good eating quality both for fresh consumption and juice processing. | |
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