S.P. Bhattarai and P. P. Subedi
Department of Horticulture, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science,
Central Campus, Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal

DOI

ABSTRACT

Losses of tomato fruits during transportation from the area of production to the market place are very great in Nepal. An experiment conducted at Outreach Research Site, Dhunubanse, Syangja District, Nepal showed that total loss of tomato fruits in transportation over a distance of 73km from the site to Pokhara was 16 percent. Losses during the transportation were significantly different depending upon maturity stages of the fruit. Fruit harvested at mature green stage had the lowest loss (5.3%). The losses at pink and full red ripe stage were 19.3 and 24% respectively. There was also year X time of picking interaction due to high loss in 1994 season and insignificant difference between pink and full ripe stage fruit on the same year. In total the loss due to mechanical damage to fruit was higher than the physiological losses. Hence, reduction of post harvest losses in tomato during transportation can be made by transporting fruit at the mature green or pink stages and reducing the mechanical losses during handling and transportation.