Environmental variables in packing houses and their effects on the quality of grapes/Variaveis ambientais em 'packing houses' e efeitos sobre a qualidade de uvas

• Published in: Revista brasileira de engenharia agrícola e ambiental 2018-02, Vol.22 (2), p.125
• Main Authors: Vasconcelos, Osvaldo C, Dacanal, Cristiane, Turco, Silvia H.N, Freitas, Sergio T, Ramos, Clovis M.C, de Lima, Paula M.L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1415-4366

The aim of this study was to characterize the thermal environment in the selection and packing areas of a packing house and its effects on the quality of table grapes produced in the Sao Francisco Valley, Brazil. The thermal environment was monitored during the winter and summer seasons. The highest value of air temperature (Tair) and the lowest relative humidity (RH) observed in the packing house were 35 [degrees]C and 40.0%, respectively, obtained during the summer, for 8 h. After observing the thermal environment data of the packing house, simulations were performed to evaluate the effect of the ideal environmental storage conditions and observed thermal conditions on the postharvest quality of "Thompson" grapes. Grapes were harvested and stored directly at the ideal temperature and RH of 0 [degrees]C and 90%, respectively, or previously exposed to a temperature of 35 [degrees]C and RH of 40% for 8 h, the thermal environment observed in the evaluated packing house, followed by storage at 0 [degrees]C and 90% RH. Fruit exposure to high temperature and low RH before the ideal storage conditions resulted in higher loss of berry firmness and weight, along with increased soluble solids and dry matter content of rachis and berry. Based on these results, the environmental conditions observed in the packing house result in berry dehydration, which accelerates the loss of fruit quality during storage. Key words: ambience spatial distribution post harvesting Objetivou-se caracterizar o ambiente termico da area de selecao e embalagem de um 'packing house' e seus efeitos sobre a qualidade de uvas de mesa produzidas no Vale do Sao Francisco. O ambiente termico foi monitorado durante as estacoes de inverno e verao. Os maiores valores de temperatura do ar (Tar) e menores de umidade relativa do ar (UR) observados no packing house, foram 35 [degrees]C e 40,0%, respectivamente, obtidos durante o verao, por 8 h. Apos a observacao dos dados do ambiente termico do packing house, foram feitas simulacoes para avaliar o efeito de condicoes ambientais ideais de armazenamento e das condicoes termicas observadas sobre a qualidade pos-colheita de uvas 'Thompson'. Neste contexto, uvas foram colhidas e diretamente armazenadas em temperatura e umidade ideais (0 [degrees]C e 90%), ou foram expostas previamente a uma temperatura do ar de 35 [degrees]C e umidade relativa do ar de 40% por 8 h, simulando o ambiente termico observado no packing house avaliado, sendo posteriormente armazena