Morphological and colorimetric modeling for determining the ripening stages of Euterpe edulis fruits

Accurate characterization of the fruit maturation stage is essential for ensuring quality standards, uniformity, and added value in production. In this study, morphological and colorimetric characteristics of Euterpe edulis Mart. fruits were analyzed with the objective of developing a mathematical model capable of efficiently estimating the physiological maturation point. The evaluated variables included dimensional measurements of the fruit and seed, fresh weight, seed volume, pulp yield, and color attributes. Correlation analysis revealed significant associations among most of the variables, with coefficients ranging from weak to strong. Strong correlations were observed between seed size and its fresh weight, while the association between morphological and colorimetric characteristics was generally weak. On the other hand, the maturation stage showed a strong and significant correlation with color parameters, particularly those related to lightness, saturation, and hue. Based on these results, a multiple linear regression model was developed using colorimetric attributes as predictor variables. The final model demonstrated high predictive capacity and can be applied as a non-destructive tool to estimate the maturation stage of juçara fruits. This approach contributes to standardizing the harvest point, optimizing pulp utilization, and adding value to the species’ production chain. Among the various multiple linear models generated using colorimetric indices, the best fit was achieved with the following model: Ŷ = 4.93543 – 0.04511L – 0.11503C + 0.04952b + 0.02832a + 0.00097h.