Comportamiento de dátiles (phoenix dactylifera l.) de Elche a diferentes tratamientos de maduración exógena en postcosecha

Researchers found that acetic acid and freezing treatments effectively accelerated the ripening of dates from two out of three studied orchards (Caqui and Los Olmos) in Elche, Europe's largest date palm grove, without compromising organoleptic quality. This breakthrough could address key challenges in date production, including variability due to traditional seed reproduction, heterogeneous ripening within clusters, and seasonal rainfall risks. The study evaluated three post-harvest treatments—acetic acid, freezing, and vaporization—on dates during the khalal stage, measuring parameters like weight, firmness, soluble solids, acidity, ripeness index, color, and sensory quality. While acetic acid and freezing proved successful for certain orchards, vaporization failed to produce high-quality dates across all samples. The findings suggest potential for increasing date yield, reducing costs, and extending market availability by enabling whole-cluster harvests before rainy seasons.

A., A., M.T., P., M.A., B., M.S., A., & M., S. Comportamiento de dátiles (phoenix dactylifera l.) de Elche a diferentes tratamientos de maduración exógena en postcosecha. V Congreso Iberoamericano de Tecnología Postcosecha Y Agroexportaciones. https://doi.org/10.31428/10317/11843