Cape gooseberry fruits are increasingly recognized due to their excellent organoleptic and functional characteristics as a food. As the cultivation of this fruit expands, it is necessary to determine the quality characteristics and evolution of the new growing zones. This study sought to characterize the growth and development of cape gooseberry fruits, Ecotype Colombia, in the Ventaquemada region (Department of Boyacá in Colombia). For the experiments, 50 plants were taken completely at random from which 20 flowers of the middle third were selected and marked considering that 50% of the flowers were open. The selected cape gooseberry plants were 9 months old from the establishment. Samples were carried out every 5-7 days to evaluate changes in different physiological and physicochemical properties of the fruits such as equatorial diameter, weight, dry matter, respiration intensity (RI), total soluble solids (SST), titratable acidity (TA), and maturity ratio (SST/TA). Logistic and modified enzyme kinetics models were fitted to represent the change in these characteristics as a function of growth time and to establish a suitable maturity index. A rapid increase in the growth and a substantive change in the properties of the fruits were observed between 36 and 45 days after anthesis (DAA) and stabilization between 60 and 65 DAA, which constitutes the stage of physiological maturity. At this stage, fruits with a polar/equatorial diameter of 2.2-2.5 cm, 14.9% TSS, 2.2% TA, and 191.7 cm 3 CO 2 /g/d RI were obtained. Likewise, from the adjusted models, it was possible to identify these changes, especially for the relative growth rate (RGR), color index, and maturity ratio.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.