New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts
Non-destructive measurement of kiwifruit firmness
IVAN J. DAVIE
NIGEL H. BANKS
PETER B. JEFFERY
CLIFFORD J. STUDMAN
Centre for Postharvest and Refrigeration Research
Massey University
Private Bag 11 222
Palmerston North, New Zealand
PETER KAY
Department of Computer Science
Massey University
Private Bag 11 222
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Abstract Design and operation of two prototypes of an
instrument for measurement of fruit softness and its application to
characterisation of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) softening behaviour
are described. The "softness meter" was used to measure deformation of the
fruit surface beneath a small spherical probe under constant load with time and
caused negligible damage to the tested fruit. Softness was quantified as a
"softness coefficient", estimated as the slope of the regression line of
deformation on the natural logarithm of time. After an initial delay in
softening, softness coefficients of kiwifruit increased approximately linearly
with time in storage at 0deg.C and were inversely and hyperbolically related to
penetrometer data obtained on the same fruit. Repeated measurements on
individual fruit, made possible by the non-destructive nature of the softness
meter, will enhance control of experimental error in research on fruit
softening behaviour.
Keywords kiwifruit; Actinidia deliciosa; firmness;
softness coefficient; penetrometer; deformation; non-destructive
New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 1996, Vol. 24:
151-157
0114-0671/96/2402-0151 $2.50/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand
1996
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (1228K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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