Effect of Maturity Indices on Growth and Quality of High Value Vegetables

Abstract

The study took place at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute’s Olericulture Division’s research farm from March 2021 to February 2022 (BARI). In a protected net house, we investigated the impact of five different types of vege tables on various maturation stages, including tomato, broccoli, sweet peppe r, cucumber, and netted melon. Vegetables cultivated under p rotected conditions in a transparent poly - film net house can improve quality, maturit y, fruit size, and yield. When fruits and vegetables are picked before they are fully mature, they may stay green for longer, but they may not ripen to a satisfacto ry color and flavor, resulting in a loss of consumer confidence. Furthermore, beca use fruit continues to grow until the harvest, immature fruit will be smaller than mature fruit, reducing harvest yield. We tried to determine the right mat uration stages in order to avoid product loss during o ur investigation. The tomato was found to be an appropriate size (6.5 cm length and 6.2 cm diameter), weight (84 g), TSS (4.5 percent), pH (4.3), “ turning red”, and “tasty” at the week 5 stage, while the broccoli was found to be an appropriate size (12.0 cm length and 13.0 cm diameter), weight (360 g), and “green” color at the week 5 stage. At the week 6 stage, the nettled melon was found to be of appropriate size (15.2 cm length and 14.5 cm diameter), weight (800 g), TSS (10.8 percent), pH (6.3), “net fully developed” on the fruit skin and “much tasty,” while cucumber was found to be of appropriate size (8.8 - 10.8 cm length and 2.2 - 2.9 cm diameter), weight (61 - 88 g), TSS (3.8 - 4.1 percent), pH (6.3), “ less powdery ”. As a result, establishing the optimal maturity of our research will benefit both consumers and growers.