Effect of Stages of Maturity and Ripening Conditions on the Biochemical Characteristics of Tomato

An experiment was carried out to evaluate the biochemical characteristics of tomato in different maturity stages and ripening conditions. Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) fruits (cv. Ruma VF) were harvested at the three maturity stages viz., mature green, half ripen and full ripen and stored at three condition control (without covering), straw covering and CaC₂ + straw covering. At that time ascorbic acid, pH, titrable acidity, sugar (reducing, non-reducing sugar and total) percentage, TSS and TSS and acidity ratio were measured at every three days interval during storage. The highest value of reducing sugar percentage total sugar percentage and TSS percentage were shown by full ripe tomatoes, non-reducing sugar percentage, TSS and acidity ratio by mature green tomatoes and vitamin-C and titrable acidity by half ripe tomatoes at final day observation (15 or 12 days of storage). The percentage of total sugar, reducing sugar, titrable acidity, pH, TSS, TSS and acidity ratio were found to increase with gradual advancement of time, irrespective of maturity stages while percentage of vitamin-C and non reducing sugar were found to decrease with progressing time of storage. The highest values of titrable acidity were recorded in tomatoes of uncovered treatment and reducing sugar non reducing sugar, total sugar, and TSS was recorded by CaC2 + straw covering treatment and vitamin C, pH, TSS and acidity ratio by simple straw covering treatment at final day of observation. The value of all the above parameters except vitamin-C and non reducing sugar were found to increase gradually with the advancement of ripening process irrespective of different keeping conditions. The tomato was placed over CaC₂ and covering with straw gave highest titrable acidity, reducing sugar and non-reducing sugar.