Avoiding Loss

     Fresh produce of an agricultural enterprise, indeed have life. They still respire, and continue some other physiological processes. It is the responsibility of postharvest sector to maintain the very quality of the produce until it reached the final consumer. Hence, understanding agents of changes and factors affecting it are vital. Here is a simple experiment conducted by us to determine certain character traits of the commodity that brings about the hastening or retardation of the commodities' deterioration.

     This activity can be than by yourself for you to realize fully the respective effects and results.

A.      Surface to weight (S/W) and the surface to volume (S/V) ratios of various commodities.

1.      We prepared commodities of different sizes and shapes, i.e.

a)       Right circular cone (carrot)

b)       Cylinder (cucumber)

c)       Oblate spheroid (potato)

d)       Sphere small (calamansi)

e)       Leafy vegetable (pechay)

2.      We get the weight of each commodity.

3.      We estimated the volume of each commodity following the water displacement method in a sufficiently large graduated cylinder.

4.      We estimated the surface area by peeling or custing (as in leafy vegetable) each commodity and laying the peelings on a graphing paper in such a way they can cover a regular polygon. We measured the area in centimeter square by counting the number of squares.

5.      We get the S/W and S/V ratios.

6.      We tabulated the data.

B.      Moisture loss in commodities with various shape and sizes

1.      We weighed each of the commodities used in the part 1 of the experiment. (same commodities but undisturbed ones)

2.      We monitored the weight up to the fourth day.

3.      We tabulated the data.

C.      Nature of the fruit wall

1.      We cut the sample(s) crosswise.

2.      We identified the fruit wall and measured each part.

3.      We drew/took photographs and labeled the cross-section of the sample emphasizing the fruit wall.

D.     Anatomical Features of Fruits and Vegetables

1.      We prepared slides of the cross-sections of the epidermis of the five samples used on this study.

2.       We examined these under microscope.