Avocado postharvest phisiology. Avocado postharvest phisiology

The genetics and physiological characteristics of avocado Lorena variety (Persea americana var americana) postharvest fruit were determined in this study. For that, 40 fruits were collected from a same tree that was located in Mariquita-Tolima [5°11’13,9‘’ North latitude (N), 74°52’58,3’’ west longitude (W)]. Fresh weight, ethylene production rate, respiration rate, firmness, extensibility, dry mass, colour, oil content and type were measured. Total RNA extraction was obtained from mesocarp pieces of fruit in pre climacteric, climacteric and post climacteric states and differential expression genes were identified by analyzing its transcriptome. The results showed half-life of 14 days, respiration and ethylene production rate behavior is similar with Michaelis-Menten kinetic model, its climacteric state is reached in seventh day after fruit collected with a CO2 production 50,89  21,15 mg kg-1 h-1, one day before, maximum of ethylene production rate is reached 215,38  58,83 µL kg-1 h-1. Variables dry mass, fresh weight, firmness and extensibility had a linear decrease. In contrast, colour index had a linear increase. In other hand, oil content had a little increase during postharvest and oleic and palmitic acid were most predominant. Genetic analyzes allowed to evidence 6335 scaffolds related with genes expressed differently during avocado postharvest and linked with carbohydrate, energetic and lipid metabolism. Those results will support research projects related with production of value added products and extend postharvest life.