Comparison of Firmness of Tomato Varieties Grown in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Firmnesses of farm fresh samples of three tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) varieties grown in Sri Lanka, named, Maheshi, HF-2 and T-146 were studied. The firmness of the tomatoes was measured using Effegi type Bishop FT 327 firmness tester. Measurements were carried out for three consecutive days after plucking them from plants. Ever since tomatoes were harvested, the firmness was found to decrease daily. Throughout the three-day period of shelf life, all three varieties registered a higher firmness value for sun-shaded side than the corresponding firmness value for the sun-exposed side. Among the three tomato varieties, Maheshi at all times registered the highest firmness value while T-146 variety registered the lowest. Also the Maheshi variety indicated the lowest rate of loss-of-firmness with time. As a result, the first officially released hybrid tomato variety Maheshi stands out with its superior and promising quality over the other two varieties, throughout the handling process, storage and shelf life in marketing chain. (The firmness measurements were made on peeled-off tomatoes, with a plunger of diameter 11.3 mm).