THE INFLUENCE OF SOME POSTHARVEST TREATMENTS ON STAKED AND NON-STAKED CUCUMBER FRUIT QUALITY DURING STORAGE AT AMBIENT ROOM TEMPERATURE

Freshly harvested fruits of three cultivars of cucumber (‘F₁ Tokyo’, ‘Market More’ and ‘Poinsett’) (Cucumis sativus L.) were subjected to four postharvest treatments, hot water dip, CaCl₂ dip, NaCl dip and tap water wash as a control, and stored under ambient room conditions for fifteen days. During the storage period, quality parameters such as general appearance, colour change, total soluble solids, fruit firmness, weight loss, decay and dry matter content were assessed. Significant differences were observed among the treatments as well as between the cultivars of staked and non-staked cucumber fruits based on the parameters studied. The results indicated that the cultivar ‘Market More’ treated with hot water at 45°C for 2 min had the firmest fruits compared to the other treatments and cultivars. CaCl₂ dip was able to reduce the rate of decay in cucumber fruits and, hence, prolong the shelf life as well as maintain fruit quality. A calcium chloride dip and hot water dip were the most effective treatments in maintaining fruit quality. The overall performance of staked fruits was better than that of the non-staked, as staked fruits were firmer, lost less weight, and showed a uniform colour and better general appearance. Cultivar by preharvest staking and cultivar by treatment interactions had significant effects on the quality parameters. These results showed that hot water treatment was effective in controlling postharvest decay organisms and in maintaining the physical and chemical quality of the fruits, and should be considered as a non-chemical control method for the control of decay during storage of cucumber fruits.