CHANGES IN QUALITY AND MATURITY OF MID SEASON PEACHES (CVS. FLAVORCREST & ELEGANT LADY) DURING MATURATION AND RIPENING

Although maturity is only one feature of quality of perishable products, it has great influence on their postharvest behavior during marketing as well as on their ultimate organoleptic quality. Consequently it is has been the subject of considerable research. Characteristics that change with advancing maturity are valuable as harvest indicators (Lill et al., 1989). However, in many fruits there is much confusion and lack of precision in assessing maturity. Three general types of observations have been proposed to determine fruit maturity and ripening during harvest: harvest criteria, maturity indices and harvest indices (Luchsinger et al., 1998).

The objectives of this study were to characterize the quality and maturity changes of peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch.] fruit cvs. Flavorcrest and Elegant Lady during maturation and ripening, to develop an objective harvest index, based on non-destructive parameters and to evaluate statistical models to predict maturity measured as the ethylene evolution rate (EER).