Studying the loss of mass by cauliflower depending on agrobiological factors, varietal features, and package technique

• Main Authors: Ludmila Pusik, Vlаdimir Pusik, Vitaliy Vlasovets, Ludmila Gaevaya, Artur Rozhkov, Nina Lyubymova, Iryna Safronska, Оleksandr Romanashenko, Yevhen Kryshtop, Evgeniy Hryn
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: PC Technology Center 2019-04-01
• Series: Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies
• Subjects: cauliflower; weight loss; weather conditions; water evaporation; types of packaging
• Online Access: http://journals.uran.ua/eejet/article/view/162072

The aim of this study was to scientifically substantiate influence of weather conditions during vegetation season of cauliflower, the content of some components of the chemical composition, physical properties, as well as packaging techniques, on the intensity of loss of cauliflower heads during storage. We established that the following types of loss occur during storage of cauliflower: weight loss due to a decrease in dry matter, weight loss due to partial evaporation of water, development of microorganisms and physiological disorders. Weather conditions over the years of study were very variable. The sum of average daily temperatures ranged from 1,743.4 to 2,544.3 °C over the years of study, it exceeded the upper limit of the optimal amount by 58.9–380.3°C. HTC (hydrothermal coefficient) was 0.58–1.10. Humidity was sufficient during the vegetation period. Conditions of the vegetation period affected weight loss of late-ripening cauliflower heads during storage in the following way: the greatest loss was 12.8–16.9 % in control in 2015, it was less in 2016 ‒ 11.7–13.8 %, depending on a hybrid. The difference between hybrids over the years of study was significant. The natural decreases in weight loss of cauliflower heads during unpacked storage were for Casper F1 hybrid ‒ 13.7 %, for Santamaria F1 ‒ 12.7 %, for Skywalker F1 ‒ 15.5 % in 2015–2017. The intensity of moisture reduction when cauliflower was stored at a temperature of 1±0.5°C ranged from 0.27 to 9.3 %, depending on the packaging technique. The intensity of moisture evaporation in all hybrids was the same and it was 0.3 % per day under packaging by stretch film. Perforated stretch film increased the moisture evaporation slightly, from 0.37 % in Casper F1 hybrid to 0.43 in Skywalker F1 hybrid. The ratio of moisture loss to the loss of dry matter ranged from 11.2 in heads of Santamaria F1 to 13.2 in heads of Casper F1 during storage without packaging. And it was 0.23–0.23 when stored under SF, and 0.35–0.43 during storage under PSF. We found out the correlation between cauliflower weight loss during storage on HTC, average daily temperature, and relative humidity of air in the vegetation period and on dry matter content, volume, and porosity of a head. The regression equations made it possible to forecast cauliflower weight loss during storage, depending on weather conditions of the vegetation period and on the dry matter content and physical indicators of heads.