METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE MATURITY OF TOMATOES BASED ON THE CONTROL OF THEIR CHLOROPHYLL FLUORESCENCE INDUCTION

Conventional methods of tomato sorting are based on the external attributes of fruits, such as color, size, hardness, or other textural features. These methods do not take into account the internal qualities and texture of fruits, which therefore affects the sorting quality. The proposed method for sorting tomatoes based on the control of their induction of chlorophyll fl uorescence takes into account the internal structure and quality of tomatoes. During the experiment, the botanical Alcazar variety of tomatoes with various stages of maturity was used: green; dairy (light green); brown; pink, and red. For the considered tomato variety, a general pattern was revealed: as the fruit ripens, the magnitude of maximum fl uorescence induction decreases and the variability of this indicator increases. Immature fruits are characterized by high values of the maximum fl uorescence induction of chlorophyll with its low variability. The full-maturity stage of tomatoes is characterized by low values of maximum fl uorescence and the variability of this indicator. The proposed method is less time-consuming than the method for determining the maturity of tomatoes by their colour; it ensures better quality separation of tomatoes by maturity, taking into account their internal structure. The method can be applied for an integrated maturity assessment of large batches of vegetables, as well as of each individual fruit.