The Effects of Minerals, Ascorbic Acid, and Salicylic Acid on the Bunch Quality of Tomatoes (Solatium lycopersicum) at High and Low Temperatures.

Harvested bunch tomatoes are sensitive to fruit abscission and desiccation of calyxes, which limit product marketability. Our investigation showed that tomato fruit bunches when submitted to a combination of temperature, aqueous solutions and storage time, fruit abscission, and calyx desiccation can be prevented. The loss of fruit weight, the force required to separate the fruit from the calyxes, the respiration rate and ethylene production of the calyxes, the color of the calyxes, and the wilting and desiccation of the calyxes were measured. These results demonstrated that treatment of bunches with supplemented mineral water delays fruit abscission and calyx desiccation and improves the fresh appearance of calyxes during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]