Cracking of cherry tomatoes in solution

Tomato fruit cracking occurs both during ripening and after harvest. Cracked fruits cannot be marketed and the cracks form sites for fungal penetration and infection. An assay based on immersion of the fruit in water was developed to study factors involved in fruit cracking. Adding calcium to the water reduced cracking whereas chelating agents increased cracking. Mineral analysis of the fruit following calcium treatment demonstrated an increase in bound calcium, while CDTA reduced the amount of soluble calcium. Decrease in fruit weight associated with water loss during storage was correlated with a decrease in the cracking potential of the fruit. Conversely, ripening during storage resulted in an increase in the cracking potential. Immersion of the fruit in acidic phosphate or citrate buffers promoted cracking whereas neutral or basic buffers prevented cracking. The cracking potential of cherry tomatoes was high after morning harvest, and it declined at noon and was low after evening harvest. It is anticipated that this study will assist to evaluate positive or negative practices which may influence cracking of cherry tomatoes after harvest.