The effects of different storage periods on some mechanical properties of cherry tomato varieties

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the physical properties such as mass, volume, geometric mean diameter, sphericity, surface and projection area of two varieties of cherry tomatoes and the effect of different compression positions under static load and different storage times on mechanical properties. Materials and Methods: To determine the physical properties of the samples, mass, volume, geometric mean diameter, sphericity and surface area values were calculated. The projection area was determined by ImageJ image processing program. The specimens were subjected to compression test to determine the behavior of the specimens under force. Results: In cherry tomato measurements, physical properties were found to be higher in Trend F1 variety. In the measurements made on two different axes, an increase in deformation was observed with the increase in storage time in both compression positions. It was also observed that the force on the fruit stem axis was higher than the force applied perpendicular to the fruit stem axis, and the deformation showed a similar trend. Conclusion: It was concluded that positioning the tomato perpendicular to the fruit stem axis, especially during storage, would be more resistant under static load than transportation perpendicular to the fruit stem axis. © 2023 Ege Universitesi. All rights reserved.