EFFECT OF ETHREL ON RIPENING AND THE STORABILITY OF TOMATO FRUITS

Abstract

This study was conducted in the green houses and cold storage unit of the Department of Horticulture , College of Agriculture, University of Baghdad during 2007-2008 to study the effect of Ethrel on ripening and the storability of Tomato fruits (c.v. Nura) . Mature green fruits were harvested and treated with Ethrel solutions( 0, 250, 500, 1000, 2000 ppm) then stored in cold room 15 ± 2 °c for one month. The results showed that using (1000 and 2000ppm) of Ethrel led to decrease fruit firmness down to 2.780 and 2.480 kg/cm2 respectively and reduce the percentage of organic acids to 0.568% , 0.538% , also the (2000 ppm) treatment led to reduce fruit content of vitamin C to 52.042 mg/kg. The percentage of damage was reduced to 30.04% when the fruits treated with (500 ppm) of Ethrel.