A simple model for rapid and nondestructive estimation of bell pepper fruit volume

Abstract

Nondestructive estimates of fruit volume are used for yield prediction. They are also used to study the relationship between fruit expansion rate and susceptibility to diseases or physiological disorders such as fruit cracking. A model relating bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) fruit diameter and length to its volume was derived using the equation of the volume of a sphere as the starting point. The model has the following formula: VF = KD2Lπ/6, where VF is fruit volume, K is the shape factor that varies with fruit type, D is fruit diameter, and L is fruit length. The model is simple, easy to use in the field, and may account for variations in fruit shape. Regression analyses using actual fruit volume of bell pepper measured with the water displacement method and the volume estimated using different equations showed that accuracy of the new model is comparable to that of one of the best models previously proposed. However, because the model is less complex than previous models, it is easier to use in the field.