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Some physical properties of strawberries related to design of a selective harvester

University of British Columbia

A fruit selection tool, which could be used as a component of a selective strawberry harvesting system, was designed and tested. Design was based upon physical and rheological properties of the Northwest variety of strawberries which is commonly grown in British Columbia. Fruit retention force was measured as a function of time over the harvest season. Three rheological parameters, linear limit, bioyield point and tangent modulus, were calculated from force-deformation curves obtained from flat plate loading tests. These parameters were used to evaluate fruit quality and its variation over the harvest season. Correlations among quality parameters, fruit retention force, and fruit surface colour indicated that colour could be used as an accurate indicator of fruit quality and fruit maturity. Fruit surface colour was, therefore, used as the selection parameter controlling the fruit selection tool. Subjective and objective colour measurements were made. Relative reflectance curves for strawberry surface were obtained from a Unicam automatic recording spectrophotometer by scanning a 2.54 cm. diameter surface of the fruit at fast speed. Spectrum variables obtained from the reflectance curves were used for objective colour evaluation and maturity assessment. The relative reflectances at various wavelengths had good correlation with surface colour, the highest being that between reflectance at 525 nanometers and percent surface red colour. Maturity ratio for strawberries was calculated from reflectance curves and was established as the ratio of reflectances at 650 nm to 525 nm. Maturity ratio best represented the surface colour and was used to define fruit ripeness. An electronic system was designed and used to measure maturity ratio and to identify fruit maturity. Tests conducted on this system in the laboratory indicated a minimum response time of 0.166 seconds per fruit. The influence of illumination and its geometry were also investigated

Text

2011-05-06

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/34304

Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems

University of British Columbia

Graduate