The plant age influences eggplant fruit growth, metabolic activity, texture and shelf-life

VALERGA, LUCÍA; DARRÉ, MAGALÍ; ZARO, MARÍA JOSÉ; VICENTE, ARIEL ROBERTO; LEMOINE, MARÍA LAURA; CONCELLÓN, ANALÍA

SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2020 vol. 272

0304-4238

Vegetable quality shows extensive variation along a single production cycle depending on the harvest season. Sofar, these effects have been mostly attributed to variations in preharvest climatic conditions, resource availabilityand cultural practices. Whether or not some of these differences are also influenced by variations in the plant ageis unknown. The aim of this work was to evaluate if the plant age modulates eggplant fruit composition atharvest and postharvest performance. Eggplants were synchronically produced in plants having different age (4-or9-monthold). At the same dates fruit was picked and assessed for quality at three developmental stages:Baby(9 cm long),Small-Commercially Mature(Small-CM,17 cm long)andLarge-Commercially Mature(Large-CM,19 cmlong). Eggplants from4-and9-monthold plants harvested atSmall-CM, were stored at 10 °C for 0, 7, 14 and 21 dand evaluated for postharvest performance. Eggplants picked in4-monthplants grew faster, reaching commercialmaturity earlier than those developing in older plants. In addition, fruit growing in4-monthplants were softerand had higher respiration rate and sugar content. Instead, the plant age did not affect seed number, size or fruitantioxidant content. Finally, fruit from4-monthplants were less susceptible to postharvest dehydration andsoftening and stored better. Taken together results show that the plant age significantly affects eggplant fruitgrowth, metabolic activity, texture and shelf-life.