THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PRODUCTION SYSTEM AND POSTHARVEST HANDLING FOR GAC FRUIT (MOMORDICA COCHINCHINENSIS): KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER TO A COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE IN THAILAND

Spiny bitter gourd or Gac fruit (Momordica cochinchinensis) is a tropical cucurbit indigenous to Southeast Asia where it is widely used as food and traditional medicine. The mature fruit contains high levels of antioxidant phytonutrients including lycopene, beta-carotene, lutein, phenolic acid and flavonoid. A drink prepared from the Gac fruit aril has recently been commercialized in the Thai market, and Gac fruit is now cultivated throughout the country. Production and postharvest handling technologies for Gac fruit were transferred to the Thamakham Community, Kanchanaburi Province. Staff of Rajamangala University of Technology Suvarnabhumi, the Organic Agricultural Innovation Network and the Thamakham Community Enterprise collaborated on the project. The optimal propagation technique was cutting establishment, taking only 7 days for rooting; seed propagation required 45-60 days. Pruning is recommended to obtain maximum fruit yield (9.05 t ha^-1 y^-1); the non-pruned plants produced 6.46 t ha^-1 y^-1. To protect the fruit from the melon fruit fly (Batrocera cucurbitae), fruit wrapping was recommended. After harvesting, to minimize the storage space requirement, the red aril membrane was removed from the fruit, packed in polyethylene bags, and stored at -15°C to be available year-round. The beta-carotene content decreased slightly after one year of storage (to 11,300 μg from 13,500 μg 100 g^-1).