How to improve kiwifruit quality?

Kiwifruit is a climacteric fruit, and it is harvested when it is mature but not ripe. Traditionally, firmness and sweetness were considered key quality parameters for estimating harvest and maturity. However, dry matter content is increasingly becoming one of the most important maturity indices, as it is correlated to soluble solids content (SSC) and can predict purchaser satisfaction.  

According to the University of California, the maturity parameters for a good quality kiwifruit are as follows:  

- Dry matter content approximately at 16%;

- A minimum sweetness/SSC at 6.5%;  

- Flesh firmness of 14 pounds force. 

Since quality of the fruit has to be monitored and measured multiple times before harvest and later in postharvest storage and transport, innovative instruments such as non-destructive Near-Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy devices are gaining popularity. The tools scan the fruit with NIR, and Chemometrics analyzes the generated spectra to provide results that can be read from the tools.  

F-751 Kiwifruit Quality Meter from Felix Instruments allows accurate field estimation within a few seconds. It comes equipped with GPS so that growers can use it to make fruit harvesting maps that can suggest future harvest management. It can measure acidity, external and internal color, dry matter content, and SSC simultaneously. Since the acidity and sweetness balance is also essential for purchasers, the same tools are also helpful for monitoring ripening during transport, storage, and retailing.

Felix Instruments is one of the world-class experts in NIR spectroscopy. The company develops and manufactures NIR assessment and gas analysis tools for growers, breeders and distributors to obtain critical data from fruit quickly and non-destructively. 

If you wish to learn more and test devices by Felix Instruments, send your inquiry