Evaluation of injury incidence in tomato fruits subjected to different processing systems

• Grant number: 11/21530-2
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2012
• Effective date (End): December 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agricultural Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Marcos David Ferreira
• Grantee: Luis Gustavo Paulino Carmelo
• Home Institution: Embrapa Instrumentação Agropecuária. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (Brasil). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The tomato is one of the most produced and consumed vegetables in the world, while Brazil occupies an important place among the greatest producers of this fruit. However, the supply chain of tomatoes in our country still lacks adequate conditions for the harvest, storage, packaging and transport. Harvesting and processing are among the main points of incidence of mechanical injuries in tomatoes, which may cause, among other factors, a negative impact in the final product quality. Equipments to assist the harvest are an alternative, since they can perform the processing of the product in their own field, ensuring better working conditions and final product quality. This project, inserted on the proposal FAPESP, Unidade Móvel de Colheita e Beneficiamento de Frutas e Hortaliças - Processo 2010/51155-6, aims to evaluate, for the incidence of injury in tomatoes, the traditional system of processing, by comparing a new harvesting aid mobile system in which the processing and classification are performed concurrently. The tomatoes will be harvested in early stage of maturation and submitted to the processing unit in conventional static and mobile processing harvest platform. Mass loss analysis as well as firmness dependent on cell turgor pressure, rate of maturation, production of ethylene and CO2 and mechanical injury will be conducted.