Effect of maturity accelerants on the postharvest behavior of avocados (Persea americana Mill.) cv. Lorena

Abstract

The global demand for avocados has grown in recent years. In Colombia, the Lorena variety is widely accepted in the market but the challenge for consumers is determining when the fruits should be consumed. However, there are no studies on this matter because most research is done on the Hass variety, which dominates global production. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate ripening treatments in Lorena variety avocado fruits to establish the postharvest behavior, avoid quality losses, and maintain organoleptic characteristics, facilitating commercialization of the product. A randomized complete block design was used with two blocks (maturity I and maturity II), five maturation treatments, three ethylene applications (2, 4 and 6 mL L^-1), fruits wrapped in unprinted newspaper, and a control. The fruits reached 16 days after harvest (dah) with commercial quality. The application of 6 mL L^-1 of ethylene presented the greatest mass loss. At 6 dah, the climacteric peak presented with the highest values of soluble solids, maturity index (MI), and loss of firmness and the lowest percentage of total titratable acidity (TTA). The TTA had higher values for the control treatment during storage. The MI registered two maximums during postharvest: the first in the climacteric peak, and the second during fruit senescence.