Comparative Studies On Marketing And Exporting Quality Between Some Local And Imported Varieties Of Tomato:

Safia Mohamed El-sayed Hassanen

Evaluation was carried out to measure the vegetativegrowth characters, flowering characters, early,marketable and total yields, as well as physical andchemical properties of fruits at their harvesting time.The keeping quality of these cultivars under roomtemperature (33~lOC) an~ cold (lO°C+l) storage was alsostudied to follow changes occurred during storage fromthe stand point of physical properties of fruits suchas percentages of weight loss and decay in fruits aswell as changes in firmness and color.Changes in chemical composition were also estimatedincluding total soluble solids, total sugars, totalacidity, ascorbic acid, and dry matter content.The results of these investigations can besummarized as follows:A • Com par ativa stu dY 0 f the 9 row th , flo we rin9, fru itquality and yielding ability:I. Concerning vegetative growth characteristics, thefollowing results were obtained:-1. The variety Yates surpassed all other varietiesin the leng th and th Lc kness 0 f the ma in s r em , followedby the varieties Marmand, V.F.N. Bush and Strain B.2. The number of internodes and number of leaves in thevariety Marmand showed the highest values followedby Yates, V.F.N. Bush and Strain B.3. The four varieties tested showed no differences inthe number of main lateral branches.4. The variety Yates exhibited the highest totalvegetative weight followed by V.F.N. Bush, thenMarmand and finally the variety Strain B.II. With regard to flowering behaviour results were asfollows:1. The variety Strain B showed the lowest number ofdays till the first cluster initiation and floweranthesis followed by the varieties Marmand, Yates,and finally V.F.N. Bush which showed highest valuesin this respect.2. The variety strain B was the earliest in fruitsetting compared with other varieties followed bythe variety Marmand. Yates and finally V.F.N. Bushwhich was the latest variety in this respect.3. Concerning the number of internode carrying thefirst cluster the variety Marmand showed the lowestnumber of internode bearing the first cluster followedby the variety Strain Bz V.F.N. Bush and finallyYates which clusters were beared on relatively highernodes.III. Regarding fruit physical characters data obtainedshowed that:1. Average fruit wei@ht was much higher for the varietyV.F.N. Bush followed by the variety Marmand, Yatesand finally the variety Strain B.2. The variety V.F.N. Bush showed higher fruit lengthcompared with all other varieties.3. The fruits of the two varieties Strain Band V.F.N.Bush were globular in shape. while the other twovarieties showed flattened fruits.4. Varietal differences in wall thickness and numberof locules of fruits were also noticed where thevarieties Strain B and V.F.N. Bush having fruits ’withless number of locules and thicker wall than eitherYates or Marmand.IV. Fruit analysis at harvest revealed that:1. The variety Marmand had the highest content of juice %followed by Yates~ V.F.N. Bush and Strain B.2. Generally, fruits of the two varieties Strain B, andV.F.N. Bush proved to have higher contents of totalsoluble solids, total sugars, vitamin C, higherfirmness values and lower total acidity compared withthe other two varieties i.e. Marmand and Yates.Therefore the fruits of the two varieties Strain Band V.F.N. Bush surpassed the other two varieties,in the flavor as noticed from the sugar/acid ratiowhich was higher.V. Conce rn ing yieldin 9 ca paci ty in tons/Fe ddan a f thefour varieties tested, it was found that1. The variety V.F.N. Bush proved to be a high yieldingvariety more than the variety Strain B. which showedlesser yield, whereas the varieties Marmand and Yatesexhibited the lowest relative yields in tons/feddan~in comparison with the other two varieties i.e. V.F.N.Bush and Strain B.2. The same trends were obvious as for the marketableyield in tons/Feddan where the variety V.F.N. Bushhad the highest marketable yield (Tons/Feddan), thevarieties Marmand and Yates showed the least valueswhile the variety Strain 81 was intermediate inthis respect.3. The two varieties Strain Band Marmand proved to beearly yielding varieties considering the total yieldduring the first three pickings whereas the varietiesV.F.N. Bush and Yates were found to be late yieldingvarieties.B. Storage Behaviour~I. Changes in physical properties:1. There was a continuous reduction in fruit weightduring storage periods for all varieties tested atboth room and cold storage and for the two ripeningstages used. Weight loss was much higher at roomtemperature compared with cold storage conditions.The two varieties Strain Band V.F.N. Bush exhibitedlower weight loss percent in comparison with thevarieties Marmand and Yates. Tomato fruits picked atthe mature green stage showed lower weight losscompared with those of the turning stage of ripening.2. Decay percent increases with the prolongation ofstor~ge. it was high in magnitude at room temperaturecompared with cold storage which retarded the appearanceof decay.The varieties Strain Band V.F.N. Bush showed lesssusceptability to decay as shown by the lower decaypercent and delayed appearance of decay lossincidence compared with the other two varietiesMarmand and Yates. Ripening stage affected decaypercent as it was found that fruits of the maturegreen stage showed lower decay % compared with thoseoft he turn ing stag e •3. There were gradual decrease in fruit firmness withthe prolongation of storage at room temperature aswell as cold storage conditions for all varietiestested. The rate of decrease in firmness was muchhigher at room temperature than at cold storage. Itwas also observed that mature green tomatoes showedhigher firmness values during the storage period atboth ro6m and cold storage conditions in comparisoriwith turning stage of ripening.4. Generally there were gradual degredation of the greencolour (chlorophyll) with the storage period in themean time the red and yellow pigments started toappear. The appearance of red colour was much fasterat room temperature compared with cold storage. Colourdevelopment was more rapid in fruits of the turningstage of ripeness compared with those of maturegreen stage. It was also clear that~ fruits pickedat the mature green or at turning stage of ripenessand stored at cold storage of 10°C or at roomtemperature did not develop the colour shade ofthose fruits left to r~pen on the plant.The two varieties Strain B and V.F.N. Bush showedbright red colour after 20 days while the other twovarieties Marmand and Yates allowed deep red colour16 days after storage.II.Changes in chemical properties:1. It was found that, there were increases in totalsoluble solids percent at the beginning ofthe storage period followed by a decreaseat the end of storage period at cold storage for allvarieties tested. Changes of total soluble solidsvalues at room temperature showed continuous increasedue to the excessive weight loss which tends to givehigher vaiues of total soluble solid~ especially atthe end of storage period. As weight loss leads toconcentration of the juice in the fruits. The fruitsof the mature green stage showed lower total solublesolid values compared with the turning s~age duringstorage at both room and cold storage conditions.2. Fruits stored at cold temperature showed a gradualincrea se in tota I ac idi ty a t the beginn ing 0 fstorage period followed by a decrease at the end ofstorage period for all varieties used. At roomtemperature. a fluctuated level of total acidity wasobserved with a final decrease at the end of storageperiod. The rate of changes in total acidity wasmuch higher at room temperature than at cold storage.Acidity content of mature green stage was highercompared to the turning stage during storage periodat both room and cold temperature. The two varietiesStrain B and V.F.N. Bush exhi.bited lower level oftotal acidity during storage period.3. At both room and cold temperature there was a gradualdecrease in total sugars with prolonged storage. Thereduction in total sugars was higher at room temperaturecompared with cold storage. Fruits of themature green stage showed lower total sugars comparedwith those of the turning stage.· The rate of decreasein total sugars was greater in fruits of turningstage compared with the mature green stage.4. Ascorbic acid content showed an increase at thebeginning of storage period followed by a decrease atthe end of storage period.Fruits of mature green stage was found to be loweris ascorbic acid content compared with those of theturning stage.The reduction 1n ascorbic acid content was greater atroom temperature compared with cold storag9.5. Dry matter content showed continuous decrease duringstorage period for all varieties under investigationat both room and cold temperature. There was aconsiderable decrease in dry matter content at roomtemperature. The decrease was lower at cold storage.The turning stage of ripening exhibited higher decreasein dry matter content compared with the mature greenstage at both room and cold storage temperature.