Relationship of Guava (Psidium guajava L.) Fruit Detachment Force to the Stage of Fruit Development and Chemical Composition1

Abstract

Guava fruit detachment force began to decline from 7 kg at 115 days after anthesis before the fruit had fully grown, to less than 0.5 kg by day 130. There was a parallel decline in deformation force from greater than 14 kg to less than 4 kg, loss of skin chlorophyll, and a decline in pulp titratable acidity from 18 to 10 meq/100 gm fresh weight. Mature fruit harvested on one occasion showed a range of detachment force from 0.5 to 7.2 kg, which correlated well with the ranges in measures of pulp quality and fruit maturity, total soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity, and skin color. Fruit detached with a force less than 4 kg were full yellow and had pulp with a pH 3.0, less than 16 meq/100 g fresh weight titratable acidity and 6° Brix total soluble solids.