Growth and ripening of two cultivars of <i>Cucumis anguria</i> L. fruits

Abstract

To establish the optimal horticultural harvest stage of Cucumis anguria L. fruit, it is necessary to identify the morphological and physiological changes of the two commercial cultivars. Fruits of the cultivars ‘Maxixe do Norte’ and ‘Maxixe Liso de Calcutá’ were harvested at 1, 3, 6, 10, 13, 15, 17, 19, and 22 days after anthesis. The fruits of both cultivars showed a simple sigmoidal growth curve, with a maximum rate on the 11^th day after anthesis. Respiration showed a sharp decline as the fruit grew, showing no increase in the later stages of development. Both the soluble solids content and titratable acidity decreased throughout the growth.