Technical and economical evaluation of traditional vs. advanced handling of tomatoes in Jordan
2009
El-Assi, N. (The University of Jordan (Jordan). Dept. of Horticulture and Crop Science) | Jabarin, A. (The University of Jordan (Jordan). Dept. of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness) | Al-Debei, H. (The University of Jordan (Jordan). Dept. of Horticulture and Crop Science)
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicom L.) fruit cv. "508" grown in plastic houses were obtained from two farms located in the Uplands and Jordan Valley. Fruits were harvested at the pink to light-red stages of development. Fruit samples were either kept as packed by the farmer (Group-1 traditional handling) or handled by the working team (Group-2 advanced handling). Harvesting was repeated three times with a week interval between harvests. Two main treatments were applied to the fruit samples: either held at 22 degree C continuously or at 12 degree C for 10 days and then removed to 22 degree C to the end of the experiment. Soluble Solid Content (SSC), firmness, water loss, decay and defects and shelf life were evaluated at 0, 10 and 20 days. Crop enterprise budgets are used in economic analysis to estimate the profitability of agricultural products High temperature inflicted serious deteriorative consequence evident by accelerating the rate of loss of firmness (softening), increasing weight loss and decay incidence, aggravating defects and reducing the shelf life of the fruits held at 22 degree C. Similarly, improper and rough handling (traditional handling) exerted detrimental effects clearly pronounced in fruits from group-2. Higher economic profits are obtained from tomatoes of the advanced handling comparable to those of the traditional handling.
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