Physical characterization of fruits of six cultivars of dwarf coconut in different stages of development

Abstract

This present study aimed to characterize the physical alterations in six dwarf coconut cultivars fruits at seven stages of development. The studied cultivars were: Green dwarf from Jequi (GDJ), yellow dwarf from Gramame (YDG), yellow dwarf from Malaysia (YDM), Red dwarf from Cameroon (RDC) and Red dwarf from Malaysia (RDM). Fruits were harvested from an experimental field from Embrapa Meio Norte (Parnaiba city, Piauí State), at the following stages of development: 126, 147, 168, 189, 210, 231, and 252 days after the opening of the inflorescences. Thereupon harvest, fruits were taken to the Laboratory of Postharvest physiology and technology at Embrapa Agroindustry Tropical, located in Fortaleza, Ceará, which were opened and then analyzed relating to the following physical parameters: volume, weight, diameter, length, turbidity, according to results, the best time to harvest the fruit was of 168 to 189 days after the inflorescence opening, when its reached the best physical attributes.