Efficacy of Different Concentrations of Calcium Chloride on Post-Harvest Quality of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Postharvest loss in tomatoes is significantly high after harvest, due to several factors. The study on the effect of different concentrations of calcium chloride on shelf life and quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) at the time of storage was done at the Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC), Tarahara, Sunsari, from February to March 2023. Tomato (Srijana variety) fruit with stem stalk was harvested at breaker stage and dipped either in distilled water as a control or in different concentrations of calcium chloride (CaCl2) (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3%) for 15 minutes. The fruits were then air-dried and stored at ambient temperatures. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications and seven treatments at the ambient room temperature of 20±2 oC and an RH of 60±2%. The shelf life and physicochemical characteristics of tomato fruit were studied at a 2-day interval during storage. The parameters recorded were physiological loss in weight (PLW), juice content (JC), total soluble solids (TSS), acidity (A), and pH in everyday intervals up to 16 days. Among the different treatments used in the laboratory, CaCl2 at 3% concentration was found to be the most effective in reducing the physiological loss in weight (12.65%), highest acidity (0.72%), lowest pH (4.27), lowest TSS (5.13 °Brix), and highest juice recovery (22.64%). It was observed that tomatoes treated with calcium chloride had an extended shelf life and quality for 16 days compared to those left untreated (control).