Qualidade e conservação pós-colheita da atemoia 'Gefner' colhida em diferentes épocas

Abstract

The atemoya is a perishable fruit with rapidly maturing, requiring the adoption of techniques to keep their quality during harvest and post-harvest. In this work, the objective was to evaluate the harvest conditions and the use of modified atmosphere in the quality of 'Gefner' atemoya fruits at two times of the year. The research was carried out in two stages. In the first stage, the fruits were evaluated in five field harvest conditions: T1; standardized harvest in the field's plastic harvest box, T2; plastic field harvest box, T3; fruits without stalk in the plastic harvest box in the field, T4; entrance to the packing shed and T5; marketing cardboard box, kept in laboratory at ± 25 °C in a completely randomized design, with 4 repetitions and 5 fruits per plot. The atemoya fruits were harvested manually at the stage of physiological maturation (pale yellowish-green). The collections were carried out in two seasons, summer and winter. The fruits were separated individually in polyethylene nets and packed in a harvest box to avoid any friction that could damage the fruit during transport. In the second stage, post-harvest conservation treatments were analyzed: T1; fruits without treatment (control), T2; fruits wrapped with PVC film (polyvinyl chloride) + cassava starch, T3; fruits with carnauba wax, T5; fruits wrapped with PVC film + carnauba wax, and T6; fruits wrapped with PVC film, stored at ± 25 ° C until complete ripening, in a randomized block design, with 3 blocks and 5 fruits per plot. The atemoya fruits harvested manually at the stage of physiological maturation (pale yellowish-green) were used in two seasons, autumn and spring. The fruits were collected with harvest gloves and removed from the plant with the help of pruning shears keeping part of the stalk, and placed in the collection boxes. It was evaluated daily in both stages until ripening when the fruits had less firmness, loss of fresh weight and cracking. For the color variables (hue angle and chroma), soluble solids, titratable acidity and ratio were performed in two moments, just after harvest and at ripening. The statistical analysis was performed considering the split plot subdivided into two harvest seasons, applying the Tukey test at 5% probability when significant. The occurrence of cracks in the fruit is directly linked to the ripening of the fruit after the 4th day of storage for the stage of sampling condition in the field and 3rd day for the stage with the use of modified atmosphere. The occurrence of rain directly interferes with the presence of cracks, with the months with the highest occurrence of cracks being January, May and November. The harvest conditions do not influence the appearance of cracking, firmness and color of the fruits. Fruits harvested without the stalk tend to lose more fresh weight. The use of PVC plastic film reduces the loss of fresh weight, but does not decrease the occurrence of cracks in the fruit.