Possibility to Reduce Drudgery and Time in Harvesting Individual Ripe Fruits of Jatropha curcas Linn by Whole Bunch Harvesting
Abstract
<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:IN; mso-no-proof:yes;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->A study was conducted to determine Jatropha fruits ripening uniformity on its tree and bunches characteristics. To get more information about its ripening off, the tree characteristics a respiration pattern was determined. The data were collected on fi ve trees for each ten selected accessions (n=50) for fruit ripening uniformity on its trees study and fi fteen bunches for each seven selected accessions (n=105) for fruits bunches ripening uniformity study at two jatropha pilot projects at Sabah state of Malaysia at the end of March 2009 when the trees were exactly one year old. This study confi rmed that heterogeneous ripening occured in all jatropha accessions and within individual jatropha bunches. Respiration tests confi rmed that jatropha is a climacteric fruit. The results showed an upsurge in CO2 production at the end of ripening and at the beginning of senescence. This study has revealed indications of the possibility to harvest jatropha fruit in bunches rather than harvesting individual ripe fruit, which could potentially improve harvest effi ciency by reducing harvesting time and drudgery.
Keywords: ripening, respiration rate, post-harvest, climacteric
