The fully matured pumpkins (Cucurbita moschata Poir) of BARI Pumpkin-1 and BARI Pumpkin-2 were harvested from the experimental field of Horticulture Research Centre, BARI, Gazipur, Bangladesh. They were then stored under ambient room conditions (27-31 °C and 75-90% RH) for various periods ranged from 15 days to 120 days. The effect of different storage periods was assessed by evaluating their impact on changes in quality attributes of pumpkins. Results indicated that a slow but steady weight loss occurred in pumpkin with maximum loss of 18 and 21% after 120 days of storage in BARI Pumpkin-1 and BARI Pumpkin-2, respectively. ?-carotene and ascorbic acid contents were decreased throughout the whole storage time, however, they were drastically reduced during first 30 days of storage. Total soluble solids content increased until 45 days of storage followed by a decrease with progress in time. Titratable acidity was slowly decreased and simultaneously pH value was increased throughout the storage period. The results indicated that storage conditions need to be managed carefully to slow down any changes in fresh pumpkin. Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 38(2): 247-255, June 2013 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjar.v38i2.15888

A survey was conducted in seven districts namely Bogura, Rajshahi, Jashore, Narsingdi, Cumilla, Jamalpur and Gazipur to assess the present status of the usage of pesticides and ripening chemical in major vegetable crops such as tomato, brinjal, country bean and bitter gourd. A total of 280 respondents having 40 respondents from each district were selected randomly for the study. The maximum number of vegetable growers belonged to the age group of 21-40, which is about 50%. About 41% and 25% of farmers accomplished their primary and secondary education in the study areas. Tomato fruit had the highest yield (27.74 tha-1) whereas the highest gross margin was attained from country bean 4,06,832 Tk.ha-1. Almost all of the vegetable growers were used synthetic pesticides (chemical group of Cypermethrin, Emamectin Benzoate, Chlorpyriphos, Carbendazim, Lambda Cyhalothrin, Mencozeb etc.) for protecting their crops from pests and most of them used own hand pump sprayer. Farmers of the study areas applied synthetic pesticides frequently with much higher dosages (8-30 times) than the recommendation. Few farmers practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for their crops. Seventy five percent farmers had protective measure during insecticide-pesticide spray and about 40% growers felt uncomfortable after hand spray to the crops. Most of the tomato growers in the study areas (Rajshahi and Jashore) were applied Plant Growth Regulator (PGR)/ripening agents mainly Ethephon @ 2500-8000ppm before 1-3 days of harvest in immature green tomato (1-4 times) for uniform color development to get higher price in the early market. Few traders (10-15%) were applied Ethephon in premature vegetables after harvest. It is strongly recommended to use IPM technology for controlling insects and pest and to create awareness regarding pesticides use practice and safety precautions. Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 44(2): 261-279, June 2019

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the dehydration kinetics and quantify its effect on the various physicochemical properties of the osmo‐dehydrated plum during storage at an ambient condition. The six treatments with a combination of three different sucrose–sodium chloride concentrations and two peeling conditions were selected in the experiment. Among the treatments, peeled plum dipped into 5% NaCl solution exhibited a faster drying rate. Concerning the rehydration properties of the osmo‐dehydrated plum, the whole plum immersed into 500B sucrose solution showed the highest reconstitution behavior and the lowest moisture content (wb). The highest values of water activity of 0.514 and the lowest values of texture 1.79 N‐mm2 were investigated in 500B sucrose treated whole plum. The peeled plum obtained the highest lightness (L), redness (a*), and yellowness (b*) compared to the unpeeled plum. Osmo‐dehydrated plum with high sugar solution contained more sugar and less total phenolic content nevertheless using only 5% NaCl resulted in less sugar and more total phenolic content after the treatment. The osmo‐dehydrated whole plums prepared in 500B sucrose scored the highest overall acceptability (8.0, e.g., like very much) followed by the 500B sucrose with peeled plum envisaged the sensory evaluation analysis. In conclusion, the osmo‐dehydrated plum treated in 500B sucrose and unpeeled condition performed better with a view to the overall plum quality, color, and acceptability judged by the expert panelists even after 12 months of storage at room temperature.

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