New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts
Short communication
Effects of pre-shipping storage conditions on buttercup squash quality
rots
P. J. WRIGHT
D. G. GRANT*
New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food
Research Limited
Cronin Road, RD1
Pukekohe, New Zealand
email: wrightp@crop.cri.nz
*Present address: DNA Enterprises, RD3, Pukekohe, New
Zealand.
Abstract Buttercup squash fruit (Cucurbita maxima D.)
`Delica' grown at the Pukekohe Research Centre, New Zealand, and harvested at
commercial maturity were subjected to combinations of different storage
temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25deg.C) and storage durations (7, 14, 21, and
28 days). Fruits were then stored at 12-14deg.C for 14 days to simulate
transportation by refrigerated ship to Japan. After simulated refrigerated
shipping (SRS), fruit were held for 7 days at ambient temperatures (15-20deg.C)
before being assessed for incidence of rots on fruit, weight loss, dry matter
content of flesh, soluble solids of flesh, flesh colour, and skin colour. Rots
occurred only on fruit that had been stored at 5 or 10deg.C before SRS as a
result of chilling injury. All fruit stored at 5deg.C for 28 days had some
degree of rot. With the exception of fruit stored at 5deg.C, the rate of weight
loss increased with increasing temperature and duration of pre-shipping
storage. Soluble solids concentration (%) levels remained between 10 and 11%
for all treatments except for fruit that were stored for 28 days at 20deg.C
(11.5%) or 25deg.C (13.0%). Dry matter content remained reasonably constant
regardless of pre-shipping storage temperature and duration (29.0-33.5%). Flesh
colour of fruit became darker (more orange) during storage, and the rate of
colour change became greater as temperature and duration of storage increased.
Skin colour did not change in fruit that were stored at 10deg.C before SRS but
became lighter green (more yellow) at the other temperatures with increasing
duration of storage.
Keywords buttercup squash; Cucurbita maxima D.;
postharvest temperature; postharvest rots; storage; sensory quality
H98016
Received 20 March 1998; accepted 27 August 1999
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (563K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
This year's abstracts |
Journal home page |
All abstracts |
Publishing home page
