PJB-2021-478
1-MCP AS AN ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR DELAYED RIPENING OF TOMATO (Lycopersicum esculentum) FRUITS IN PAKISTAN
Aleena Ramzan
Abstract
Abstract Short shelf life of tomato fruits with unavailability of modernized handling/storage and transport practices causes almost ~30-40 % of fruit loss leading to great financial burden of import in Pakistan. There is an urgent need to adapt an alternative technology for increasing the shelf life of fully ripened tomato fruits by inhibiting ethylene perception leading to ripening and decay. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on ripening of tomatoes at physiological and transcript levels. Green tomatoes were harvested and treated with 1-MCP for 24hrs and 8 days. Physiological data based on colour, weight, and firmness of the fruits suggested a significant delay in the onset of ripening after 1-MCP treatment. 1-MCP is known to block ethylene receptors, therefore we used six different ethylene and ripening related genes as markers to provide evidences that 1-MCP auspiciously delayed tomato fruit ripening by inhibiting the ethylene pathway. This study concludes that 1-MCP can effectively be used as an alternative to reduce the postharvest tomato losses in Pakistan with slight optimization for different local varieties or cultivars.
To Cite this article:
Download
