Andrea Rivera shares hands-on experience of integrating F-751 Avocado Quality Meter

Dry matter testing is the primary method to determine crop harvest quality and timing. In the laboratory, it can be measured by drying fruits in a microwave or conventional oven, and calculating this dry weight as a ratio of the fruit weight before drying.

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a non-destructive method to estimate dry matter levels without affecting a fruit. 

This technology is easily used with such small handheld instruments as the F-751 Avocado Quality Meter by Felix Instruments.

Andrea Rivera is an agricultural engineer at GAMA, a Research and Development Company located in Quillota, Chile, led by Francisco Gardiazabal and Francisco Mena. In her latest interview with Galen George, Application Scientist at Felix Instruments, she shares experience of integrating F-751 Avocado Quality Meter into their research.

In their assays related to fertilization, Rivera and her team use nitrogen and urea. They are applying the same amount of substance at different times of the year, in order to learn what will happen with the maturity or the ripening of the fruit. 

“We’re looking at what is happening every month, not only at harvest. To know if, for example, it will reach maturity sooner or later, depending on the treatment...And what will happen not only to yield but also to dry matter and, of course, to the quality of fruit at harvest”, explains Andrea.

According to Rivera, for each treatment they take a sample of 30 fruits, and they measure 4 points in each fruit, which is 120 measurements per treatment. Utilizing the F-751 is a time saver because for the microwave analysis you need 2 people, and to use the F-751 model you need only one person. In both cases you will receive the same quantity of samples, from 8 to 9 per day.

To read the full interview with Andrea Rivera, follow the link.

For more information about Felix Instruments, visit their website.