REVESTIMENTOS COMESTÍVEIS E REGULADOR VEGETAL NA CONSERVAÇÃO PÓS-COLHEITA DE TOMATE

Abstract

Tomato is a crop that is widely cultivated and consumed worldwide, as fresh and in various processed products. However, it is highly perishable after harvest due to the fragility of its tissues and its intense metabolic activity. Therefore, the use of postharvest conservation technologies is essential to maintain fruit quality. Among these technologies, edible coatings based on cassava starch, plant growth regulators such as gibberellic acid (GA₃), and vegetable oils such as babassu oil have shown promising potential. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of these technologies on the postharvest conservation of tomato fruit. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design (CRD), in a 6 × 4 factorial scheme, with six treatments (T1 – Control; T2 – 100 mg L⁻¹ GA₃; T3 – 6% babassu oil; T4 – 3% cassava starch; T5 – 100 mg L⁻¹ GA₃ + 3% cassava starch; T6 – 6% babassu oil + 3% cassava starch) and four storage periods (0, 4, 8 and 12 days), with three replications and two fruits per plot. Total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), weight loss, color, firmness and pH were evaluated. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and means were compared using Tukey’s test at the 5% probability level. The treatment with 3% cassava starch and 100 mg L⁻¹ gibberellic acid was the most effective method for postharvest conservation of tomatoes, promoting greater firmness retention, maintenance of titratable acidity, lower pH increase and delayed color change.