Physicochemical Attributes of Tomatoes After Different Forms of Harvesting and Transportation for Industrial Processing: An Experimental Randomized Study

The dataset analyzed in this experimental study focused on the physicochemical attributes of tomatoes subjected to different harvesting and transportation methods for industrial processing. This study aimed to assess the impact of mechanized harvesting and various transportation types on the physicochemical characteristics of tomatoes intended for industrial use. The experiment was conducted in a no-tillage area in Morrinhos, GO, Brazil, using the BA5630 tomato hybrid from BHN, irrigated with a center-pivot system. The study's first phase followed a completely randomized design with four replications and three treatments (manual and mechanized harvesting and transportation), describing the degree of damage under each condition. The second phase employed a completely randomized design with sub-sub-subdivided plots, comprising four replications and 144 treatments. This phase evaluated the influence of container types (2 types), positions within the container (3 horizontal positions), depths within each position (3 depths), and withdrawal times (9 sampling intervals). A self-propelled harvester was utilized for mechanical harvesting, and a truck with a trailer was employed to assess the effect of vibrations during transport. Key parameters evaluated included firmness, titratable acidity, °Brix, pH, and percentage of fresh mass loss. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey's test at a 5% significance level. The findings revealed that mechanical intervention reduced firmness, titratable acidity, pH, and fresh mass, highlighting these variables' impact on tomatoes' physicochemical quality.