Influence of storage environment, maturity stage and pre-storage disinfection treatments on tomato fruit quality during winter in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

The aim of this study was to explore influence of evaporative cooling (EC), pre-storage disinfection treatments and maturity stage at harvest on postharvest quality of tomato fruit. The tomato samples (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Nemonetta) were harvested, stored for 28 days and data were collected every seven days. The pH, total titratable acidity (TTA), total soluble solids (TSS), firmness, colour, weight loss (PWL) and marketability percentage were analysed. The temperature difference between ambient storage and EC at the fan varied between 4 and 7 °C, the relative humidity (RH) varied between 31 and 86%, while at different locations inside the EC it varied between 2-3 °C and 5-8%, respectively. Maturity had significant influence on the overall quality of tomatoes. The pH value of green, pink and red tomato was 4.86 and 5.03. The TTA content, the TSS content significantly affected over the 14 days of storage. TSS:TA was found to be in the range of 7.8-33.9. The EC storage shows a higher firmness and hue angle, when compared to the ambient conditions stored tomatoes. Compared to ambient storage, EC storage reduced the PWL by 7-10% over 30 days, while ambient storage took 15 days. EC storage and pre-storage treatments improved the shelf-life and marketability of tomatoes. However, variation in temperature and RH inside EC could affect the storability of the produce.