POST-HARVEST PHYSICAL CHEMICAL CHANGES IN “HASS” AVOCADO (Persea americana Mill) CULTIVATED AT DIFFERENT ALTITUDE

Abstract

Avocado (Persea americana) commercialization with export purposes demands quality; and in the post-harvest management, maturity at the time of collecting the fruit is defining for the final maturation process. In Teziutlán, Puebla, México, “Hass” avocado is produced for export; however, due to the variability in altitude, the quality of the fruit obtained is unknown. Post-harvest physical chemical changes of “Hass” avocado fruits grown at different altitudes in Teziutlán were evaluated, from three commercial plantations with altitudes of 1957 m, 1447 m and 1800 m, respectively. The fruit harvest was carried out at the moment when the skin changed from light green to dark green color. 106 fruits were collected from each plantation and stored at 20 °C ±2 for three weeks. The caliber of the fruits was determined at the moment of the harvest, and the percentage of dry matter, weight loss, firmness, total soluble solids, and skin color were determined at the times of 0, 4, 8, 12, 15, 18 and 20 days of storage. The results were analyzed as a completely random design, with three treatments, ten repetitions for weight loss and four for the rest of the variables; one fruit was considered as experimental unit. A multiple means comparison was carried out with Tukey (P?0.05), for the treatments that were significant. The content of dry matter and total soluble solids was higher in the fruits cultivated at 1957 m.