Vol. 72 No: 6

Title:
Salinity Effects on some Postharvest Quality Factors in a Commercial Tomato Hybrid

Authors:
M.E. BALIBREA, E. CAYUELA, F. ARTÉS and F. PÉREZ-ALFOCEA

pp: 885-892

Abstract:
The commercial F1 tomato hybrid (Lycopersicon esculentum L. Mill) cv. Radja (GC-793) was cultivated with low (control), moderate (70 mM NaCl) and high (140 mM) salinities under greenhouse conditions for 14 weeks. The effects of different salinity levels on fruit weight and major chemical components determining fruit quality were assessed. Red ripe fruits were harvested to determine fruit weight, size and composition. The water content and mineral composition were determined in whole fruits; the carbohydrate, organic acid and soluble protein contents were analyzed in pericarp tissue. Moderate salinity reduced the fresh and dry fruit weights by only 10 and 13%, respectively, while high salinity reduced them by 40 and 33% compared with control fruits. The water content was not significantly affected by salinity. Thus, fruit weight does not seem to be limited by the water supply under these conditions. The amount of Na⁺ significantly increased only at high salinity, while Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ contents were not affected. K⁺ content, which represents more than 70% of the mineral composition, tends to increase with salinity. The citric acid content slightly increased at moderate salinity, while both citric and malic acids contents were reduced at high salinity, increasing the citric/malic ratio. The pH values were always about 4. The low content in soluble proteins was reduced by high salinity, while moderate salinity increased it. In pericarp tissue of moderately treated fruits, the fructose and glucose contents were three times and twice as high as control and highly salinized-ones. Starch, sucrose and myo-inositol also accumulated under salinity. Hexoses and starch accounted for 20, 66 and 42% of the pericarp dry matter in control, moderate and highly salinized fruits, respectively.

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