Impact of Fruit Development Age on Postharvest Quality of Hass Avocado

The challenges of heterogeneity and internal disorders during Hass avocado ripening are significant globally, given their cultivation in diverse agro-ecological zones. This study aimed to assess how fruit development age affects post-harvest quality in a Hass avocado orchard within a tropical rainforest climate. Fruit maturity indices (dry matter (DM) and oil content (OC)), quality markers (mineral content (MC) and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME)), and postharvest quality (storage and ripening, and fruit quality analysis (internal disorders and sensory quality) were determined during three crop years. Fruit development time to harvest was 173-176 days after fruit labeling (DAFL) for the first two crop years and 212 DAFL for the third crop year. In the first two crop years the fruit showed an extended ripening time (up to 13 days) and non-ripening fruits (13%), accompanied by a high incidence (>61%) and severity (20-100%) of internal disorders, leading to poor sensory quality. However, in a third crop year, the fruit showed a remarkable reduction in the incidence (<25%) and severity (<15%) of damages and improved sensory quality significantly, which was characterized by increased creaminess, flux texture, and hazelnut sensation. The findings underscore the importance of extending fruit development time to harvest using fatty acid and mineral content as markers of quality, as strategy to improve postharvest quality reduced internal disorders, and enhanced overall sensory attributes of Hass avocados, stablished to low altitude, to contribute to their market competitiveness.