EFFECTS OF HARVESTING STAGES AND POSTHARVEST TREATMENTS ON QUALITY AND SHELF LIFE OF TOMATO (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) FRUITS AT HARAMAYA, ETHIOPIA

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is one of the most popular and widely consumed vegetable crops in many parts of the world including Ethiopia. However, it is highly perishable and post-harvest loss is the major problem that discourages production in many developing countries, including Ethiopia. Tomato fruit deteriorates in a short period due to its nature and poor postharvest handlings. Therefore, research was carried out to evaluate the effect of harvesting stages and postharvest treatments on fruit quality and shelf life of shanty PM tomato variety. The experiment comprised three levels of harvesting stages (mature green, turning and light red) and eight levels of post-harvest treatments; control (water washed), 300ppm sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), 3% beeswax, white low-density polyethylene bag (LDPE), 300 ppm NaOCl + 3% beeswax, 300 ppm NaOCl + LDPE, 3% beeswax + LDPE, and 300 ppm NaOCl+ 3% beeswax + LDPE. Treatments were laid out in 3 × 8 factorial arrangements in a completely randomized design with three replications. Quality attributes and shelf-life parameters were collected at four-day intervals during the 36 days of storage. Fruits treated with 300 ppm NaOCl and coated with beeswax and placed in LDPE bags significantly reduced physiological weight loss (11.84,20.23, and 26.70%), percentage decay (11.76,52.14 and 54.64%), TA (0.44,0.34 and 0.26 g/l), pH of tomato juice (4.19,4.41 and 4.49), and ascorbic acid loss during storage (17.09,15.56 and 12.35 mg/100 g), and increased the shelf life (36,29.67 and 29.67 in days) of the fruits that were harvested in green, turning and light red stages, respectively. It can, thus, be concluded that red light harvesting stages and the combination of LDPE bags, NaOCl (300 ppm) and coating with BW (3%) can be recommended for Shanty PM tomato in terms of extending shelf life and maintaining quality