PRE- AND POSTHARVEST ATTRIBUTES OF MUSKMELON CULTIVARS FOR FRESH-CUT CUBES

Abstract

© 2016, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Facultad de Agronomia e Ingenieria Forestal. All rights reserved. The choice of the appropriate cultivar is a critical factor for obtaining a successful crop and for satisfying the needs of the industry and consumers. Nine commonly used or recently available varieties of cantaloupe melons (Cucumis melo L. Group Cantalupensis) were evaluated in two locations with the objective of selecting cultivars ad hoc for processing as fresh-cut cubes. Overall, the yield (30 to 45 t ha-1) and quality, including mainly the fruit size and soluble solids concentration (SSC), varied between locations, but the relative performance of cultivars was similar. The cultivars showed significant differences in attributes that are relevant for the industry and the consumer: color (from yellow to deep orange), SSC (from 8.7 to 14.7%), firmness (11.2 to 32.8 N), and chilling injury after refrigerated storage for 18 days at 0 ºC (from none to slight) and after 3 additional days at 20 ºC (from none to severe). Cultivars such as Diva, Fiji, and Glamour presented attributes that make them especially valuable for the fresh-cut processing industry.