It is usual that the harvesting period of tomatoes such as Sanmarzana strains come up to the middle or the end of August. In this season the temperature of field is too high to form lycopene enough and it needs much time to become well-colored for fruits. So it is not seldom to fall in to the handicap for harvesting of over ripened.
In addition, the fruits of these varieties are perishable on the stage of before full ripe for physiological disease in this season and the yields decline consequently. In this experiment, to prevent these troubles the fruits were harvested on the "pink stage" and then were ripened artificially and after full ripe they were investigated on their qualities.
The results obtained are summarized as follows :
1 . Weight loss of tomato fruits by artificial ripening was about 4-5%.
2 . Apearance of fruit color was affected remarkably by temperatures of ripening period.
It took five days from harvest till well-colored stage at 24℃ and quality of these tomatoes was not distinguished from naturally ripened. While at room temperature (27-31 ℃), it took ten days for ripening and in this case weight loss of fruits was so remarkable. Besides, it caused loss of sugar and qualitative deterioration of pectic substances during such long days. Therefore it seemed to be disagreeable that tomato fruits were ventured on artificial ripening at this temperature.
3 . Even in the case of ripening at room temperature if the fruits were exposed to atomosphere only at night the color of fruit apeared brightly within five days. So the effect of artificial ripening could be granted even in the case without air conditioning equipment by utilizing of low temperature of open air at night.
4 . In conclusion if conditions of ripening are reasonable it is not so difficult to obtain the fruits of fairly well quality, however, only qualitative deterioration of pectic substances seems to be inevitable so long as by artificial ripening.