Effect of Postharvest Application of Different Concentrations of 1-Methylcylclopropene on Quality and Shelf-life of Two Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Cultivars

Two tomato cultivars harvested at the mature-green stage were studied to determine the effect of postharvest application of different concentrations of 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on their quality and shelf-life. A 2 x 3 factorial arrangement in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications were used. The two cultivars ‘Eva’ and ‘Power’ were each treated with 1 ppm and 2 ppm of 1-MCP concentrations and the untreated were considered as control (0 ppm).The fruits were placed inside air-tight plastic barrels with different 1-MCP concentrations at an average temperature of 29.5°C and relative humidity of 60-75%. The 1-MCP gas was allowed to circulate in the airtight barrels with the aid of a mini fan which was attached to the lid of the barrel for 24 hours before the fruits were brought out, displayed and physico-chemical properties and shelf-life monitored. The results showed that higher concentrations of the 1-MCP (2 ppm) significantly (P≤0.01) delayed ripening as measured by changes in colour, total soluble solids and total titratable acidity. Generally, between the cultivars, ‘Eva’ fruits were significantly (P≤0.01) firmer irrespective of the 1-MCP concentration. Significantly (P≤0.01), untreated fruits (0 ppm) of both cultivars recorded higher moisture and vitamin C contents than treated fruits (1 and 2 ppm). Tomatoes treated with 1 ppm and 2 ppm of 1-MCP concentrations had delayed ripening (longer green-life) and as a result had a longer shelf-life (89 and 104 days, respectively) compared to untreated tomatoes (77 days). Clearly, the results of this research has established that the use of 1-MCP have marketable prospect for growers and traders to delay the ripening of tomatoes.