Post-harvest quality of fresh-marketed tomatoes as a function of harvest periods

Losses on tomato business chain start at harvest, a two-months period. At the beginning of the harvest, fruits concentrate at the basal part of the plant, then in the middle, and finally at the top, and undergo changes in diameter and maturity indexes as harvest progresses. The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of handling at three different periods: (I) 15 days, (II) 30 days, and (III) 45 days after the beginning of harvest. Tomatoes were ordinarily grown and harvested in to bamboo baskets, and transferred to plastics boxes. Fruits were classified according to ripening stage and diameter, and evaluated for mechanical damage and external defects caused by harvesting procedures. The time required for the harvest operation was measured; damage to fruits (%) and weight loss (%), caused either in the field and/or during the harvesting process, were taken into consideration and related to the final quality of fruit after storage for 21 days. The same methodology was used all through the production and harvest cycle. The highest % fruit damage occurred during period II, a longer harvest time than the other two periods. Fruits not submitted to handling showed lower weight loss than handled fruits. Fruits harvested in period II and stored for 21 days showed higher losses due to mechanical injury

Seletividade de herbicidas aplicados em pós-emergência para a cultura da mandioquinha-salsa

A suscetibilidade da cultura de mandioquinha-salsa a herbicidas aplicados em pós-emergência foi avaliada, cultivando-se três mudas pré-enraizadas e uniformes por vaso de cinco litros de capacidade, preenchidos com solo Podzólico Vermelho-Amarelo Câmbico, fase terraço, coletado na camada de 0-20 cm. Utilizou-se o delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com três repetições e 39 tratamentos obtidos do arranjo fatorial (13 x 3), sendo 12 herbicidas e uma testemunha sem herbicida e três doses (uma dose baixa, uma média e uma alta). As doses dos herbicidas (em g ha-1) foram: bentazon (600, 720 e 960), clethodim (84, 96 e 108), fenoxaprop-p-ethyl (68, 90 e 110), flazasulfuron (50, 75, 100), fluazifop-p-butil (94, 187 e 250), halosulfuron (75, 112 e 150), imazamox (28, 35 e 42), linuron (900, 1.350 e 1.800), oxadiazon (500, 750 e 1.000), propaquizafop (100, 125 e 150), sethoxydim (184, 230 e 276) e amônio-glufosinato (200, 300 e 400). A colheita das plantas foi realizada aos 49 dias após a aplicação dos tratamentos (DAA). Os herbicidas halosulfuron, flazasulfuron, imazamox e bentazon causaram alta toxicidade e prejuízos para as características avaliadas, sendo considerados não-seletivos para a cultura. O linuron e oxadiazon, nas doses baixa e média, e o amônio-glufosinato, na dose baixa, proporcionaram toxicidade às plantas de mandioquinha-salsa no início das avaliações, porém observou-se boa recuperação a partir de 28 DAA. O fluazifop-p-butil foi seletivo nas menores doses utilizadas. Os herbicidas clethodim, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl, propaquizafop e sethoxydim foram os mais seletivos.The tolerance of peruvian carrot to post-emergence herbicides was evaluated. Three pre-rooted uniform seedlings were grown in 5-liter pots with Red Yellow Podzolic Cambic soil, terrace phase, collected from a 0-20 cm depth layer The experimental design was a 13 x 3 factorial arrangement [twelve herbicides, a control without herbicide, and three herbicide doses (low, medium and high)] with 39 treatments distributed in randomized blocks, with three repetitions. The herbicide doses (g ha-1) were: bentazon (600, 720, and 960), clethodim (84, 96, and 108), fenoxaprop-p-ethyl (68, 90, and 110), flazasulfuron (50, 75, and 100), fluazifop-p-butyl (94, 187, and 250), halosulfuron (75, 112, and 150), imazamox (28, 35, and 42), linuron (900, 1,350, and 1,800), oxadiazon (500, 750, and 1,000), propaquizafop (100, 125, and 150), sethoxydin (184, 230, and 276), and ammonium-glufosinate (200, 300, and 400). The plants were harvested at 49 days after treatment application (DAA). The herbicides halosulfuron, flazasulfuron, imazamox and bentazon caused high toxicity and damage to the crop, being non-selective for Peruvian carrot. Low and medium doses of linuron and oxadiazon, and low dose of ammonium-glufosinate caused toxicity just after spraying, but the crop showed good recovery from 28 DAA. Fluazifop-p-butyl was selective in low doses. Clethodim, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl, propaquizafop, and sethoxydin were the most selective to Peruvian carrot