ISHS Acta Horticulturae 694: International Symposium on Harnessing the Potential of Horticulture in the Asian-Pacific Region
GROWTH INFLUENCES ON QUALITY OF SQUASH FRUIT |
| Authors: | B.P. Searle, A.R. Renquist |
| Keywords: | Cucurbita maxima D., dry matter %, storage, thermal time, skin, flesh |
| Abstract:
Squash fruit can have poor storage life, caused by a combination of pre-harvest growth conditions and harvesting of over-mature fruit. Definitions of maturity are still uncertain, and methods of measuring maturity differ among growers and pack-houses. Additionally, there is little understanding of how pre-harvest growth conditions influence maturity or storage. We examined the growth and dry matter % (DM%) of squash fruit to determine if DM% is an appropriate maturity indicator and how it changes with growth conditions. Results indicate that fruit DM % on its own is not a good indicator of maturity. However, while flesh DM%, tends to plateau over time, skin DM % continues to increase, with the ratio of skin:flesh DM% of 1 being suggested as a suitable indicator of maturity. Fruit fresh mass can increase due to the uptake of water as the skin DM% increases. This could lead to micro-cracks in the skin surface allowing for pathogen infection and rots in storage. A logistic equation described the change of skin and flesh DM% with thermal time, but DM% was affected by rainfall events in different ways, and these interactions may contribute to storage issues. | |
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