EFFECTS OF METHYL JASMONATE ON THE FRUIT QUALITY OF EGGPLANT (Solanum melongena) IN MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE CONDITIONS

Abstract

Temperature to protect fruit quality during the storage; and (c) the effects of treatments on the As being sensitive to non-climacteric chilling injury and short post-harvest life, eggplant fruit ends up with significant economic losses. In this study, it was aimed to determine (a) the effect of Methyl Jasmonate (MeJA) on ripeness of this fruit; (b) the optimal storage losses that occur in Anamur Karasi eggplant harvest. The study includes eggplants ed in Gevaş district of Van and a group of them were treated with 1 µM and 5 µM Methyl Jasmonate (MeJA) while a group (control) was without treatment for comparison. The eggplant fruits were harvested by considering their maturity levels, and then, they were placed in foam plates and covered with stretch film for 21 days in cold storage with 10 °C and 20 °C temperature and 90-95% relative humidity. The treatment of Methyl Jasmonate during the storage period had a positive effect on weight loss, skin colour, calyx colour, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), total phenolics (TP) and total antioxidant activity (TAA), while it did not have significant effect on pH and pulp colour. As a result of the study, it can be stated that Methyl Jasmonat may be recommended as a treatment to preserve fruit quality characteristics and that Anamur Karasi eggplant variety was successfully stored for 21 days at 20 °C and 15 days at 10 °C with methyl jasmonate treatment.