Effect of electrostatic field treatment on the quality and physiology of tomato fruit during storage

In order to investigate the effect of electrostatic field treatment on the quality of tomato fruit(cv. Chaoyan219) in storage, suitable parameters (electric field strength: -200 kV/m; frequency: two hours per day) of high electrostatic field treatment were selected under the consideration of the softening and the color change control. Effects of high electrostatic field on the quality and physiology of tomato fruit were studied in this paper. Results indicated that electrostatic field treatment could delay the decline of fruit firmness and inhibit the color change from green to red, and the treatment could delay the decline of total soluble sugar and titratable acidity of tomato fruit during storage. The peak of respiration and ethylene production of tomato fruit during storage were delayed by negative high voltage electrostatic field treatment for six days and three days, respectively. Malondialdehyde content and relative electrical conductivity of tomato fruit were decreased significantly by electrostatic field treatment during storage, and it indicated that the cell membrane permeability of fruit could be controlled with that treatment.