Establishing maturity indices for harvest timming of persimmon fruit cv. Fuyu

Abstract

This study was carried out to establish maturity indices for harvest timing of persimmon fruit ‘Fuyu’
grown in Fraiburgo, SC. ‘Fuyu’ persimmon fruits were harvested and classified at six stages of ripening in 2002 and 2003. Fruit skin color, flesh firmness, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, respiration and ethylene production were determined one day after harvest. Gradual changes on fruit skin color from green to red, reduction in flesh firmness, and increase in soluble solids content occurred as the maturation advanced. The titratable acidity did not change significantly with ripening. The rates of ethylene production and the rates of
respiration increased significantly only in fruits harvested on overripe stage. Thus, the maturity indices for ‘Fuyu’ persimmon fruits harvested to storage and/or to transport were determined as 14,6 - 15,3% of soluble solids content, about 63 and 66N (~14 e 15lb) of flesh firmness, hue index between 73 and 66 and visual color index 4.