Skin colour and softening synchronization during ripening of three avocado cultivars

Abstract

Skin colour-softening de-synchronization during the early season remains a major quality concern in ‘Hass’ avocado, leading to consumer dissatisfaction and market losses. This study evaluated whether Hass-type cultivars ‘Carmen’ and ‘Maluma’ exhibit de-synchronization between skin colour and mesocarp softening as compared to ‘Hass’ avocado. The study was conducted using fruit harvested from a ZZ2 Moeketsi commercial farm in Tzaneen, Limpopo, South Africa. The ‘Carmen’ and ‘Maluma’ cultivars were harvested in April 2024, while the ‘Hass’ cultivar was harvested in May 2024. The harvested fruits were stored at 5.5 °C for 28 days. After cold storage, fruit were held at ambient temperature to induce ripening. Firmness declined significantly in all cultivars (p < 0.001), with ‘Carmen’ softening earlier and ‘Maluma’ showing a gradual softening pattern. Skin colour changed from green to purple and black; however, colour development was more pronounced and closely aligned with softening in ‘Carmen’ and ‘Maluma’. Chlorophyll and carotenoids decreased, whereas anthocyanin increased during ripening, with a stronger correlation between colour, firmness, and pigment changes in ‘Carmen’ and ‘Maluma’. These results indicate better skin colour-softening synchronisation in ‘Carmen’ and ‘Maluma’, supporting their suitability for early season export programs.