CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Tomato production on its season (December to March) is very high thus making the

tomatoes cost lower and the availability of buyers also decreases. However, on the next few

months’ tomato production decreases so the price will increase rapidly and buyers looks for

tomatoes. In 2015, Up to 20 tons of tomatoes are rotting in Narvacan town in Ilocos Sur

province as farmers scramble to find buyers for their harvest (GMA News Online, 2015).

Thus, the production of tomato will decrease its profitability to all the consumers.

It also plays an important role in the food security and livelihoods of farming

communities in many developing countries. According to the Food and Agriculture

Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the production and consumption of tomatoes is

steadily rising. Developing countries now account for more than half of global tomato

production.

Tomato is the second most important vegetable worldwide after potato.

Environmental factors such as soil type, temperature, frost and rainy weather can have an

adverse effect on storage life and quality of fruits and vegetables. Fully ripe tomato fruits can

be stored at 2 - 5 o C for few days to avoid chilling injury. The unpleasant aroma of fruit

stored at 5o C is caused by the loss of the principal volatile compounds detected by gas

chromatography. Enzymatic changes occurring during ripening also determines the changes

in the flavour and aroma constituents of the fruits.

However, ripening and shelf life of tomato fruits can be delayed by an enclosure of

tomato fruits in polyethylene or other forms of plastic packaging materials. Tomato fruits,

generally, are succulent and perishable and as a result, have a short shelf life. Good and

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protective storage methods are required to enhance their shelf life as well as their physical

qualities. Tomato fruits need to be harvested at green mature stage because longest shelf life

of tomato cultivars can only be achieved when the fruits are harvested at this stage (Garuba et

al., 2018).

Storage presents a big challenge to farmers. Tomato farmers harvest their whole crop

at the same time. This floods the market and means that farmers receive low prices for their

produce. Tomatoes are spoiled if left for long in the field when ready for harvest. They are

attacked by pests and do not last long during storage. This leads to great losses for farmers.

Such harvest losses have serious impacts on food security and farmers’ incomes. They also

contribute to high prices for consumers when the crop is out of season.

The rice hulls are unique within the nature. They contain approximately 20% opaline

silica in combination with a large amount of the phenyl propanoid structural polymer called

lignin. This abundant agricultural waste has all of the properties one could ever expect of

some of the best insulating materials. Rice hulls do not flame or smolder very easily, they are

highly resistant to moisture penetration and fungal decomposition, they do not transfer heat

very well, they do not smell or emit gases. With the same component of saw dust, rice hull

can also prolong the shelf life of tomato because of its mineral content and ability to absorb

natural moisture that can ripen the tomato. It is a waste material that can lead to greater

success and possibilities in agricultural industry (Espiritu, 2019).

Sawdust, the life span of tomato fruit will prolong by its absorbent component and

material. Sawdust is an organic storage technology that can benefit the farmers. It reduces the

chance of rotting tomatoes because of its natural components. Unlike rice straw, sawdust is

waste component that causes pollution to air and environment. By making it as a material for

preservation to tomato fruit, this will lead to greater possibilities and improvements of

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sawdust in the industry. Sawdust also help improve the structure of the fruit by means of

nutrients and minerals.

The reason in conducting this research study is to compare and identify the best

treatment of rice hull and sawdust in prolonging the shelf life of tomato.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of rice hull and saw dust in prolonging

the shelf life of tomato.

Specifically, this study will seek to answer the following questions:

1. Which among the treatments is the best medium in prolonging the shelf life of

tomato?

2. How does rice hull and saw dust affects the life of tomato in terms of:

a. Visual quality rating

b. Color index

c. Chilling injury

d. Color quality rating

e. Shriveling index

f. Firmness index

g. Percent rotting

3. What is the relationship of saw dust and rice hull that affects the shelf life of

tomato?

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Significance of the Study

This study will determine the effectiveness of saw dust in prolonging the shelf life of

tomato.

Through the help of the results of the study, farmers would have an additional

income and profitable business in growing tomato fruit.

The agricultural condition of the country would have more possibilities and greater

improvements.

Future researchers could use the information that gathered in the study as their

basis.

Scope and limitation

Two tomato varieties will be used in conducting this study, ‘Ilocos Red’ and

‘Diamante max’ have both thick skin. The focus of this study, in general, will be to identify

the effectiveness of rice hull and saw dust in prolonging the shelf life of tomato. It will

determine how well the materials perform based on the visual quality rating, color index,

color quality rating, shriveling index, firmness index and percent rotting of the fruits. The

researchers will seek to know how different the tomatoes depending on the kind of materials

used (Gabriel, Atis, Dumaoal & Esteban 2014). However, due to lack of equipment, firmness

will be measured subjectively using the finger feel method.

This will be conducted in General Artemio Ricarte Senior High School at #35 Bil-

loca, Batac City, Ilocos Norte from December 2019 to February 2020.

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Definition of Terms

These are terms used throughout the literature review that needs defining for clarity of

understanding and is defined operationally:

Effectiveness. It is the degree of successfulness that the treatments have based on the

development of the parameters evaluated in the study (color of the fruit, appearance of the

fruit and texture of the fruit).

Visual quality rating. Will be used to rate the appearance of tomato.

Color index. Used to rate the color of the tomatoes.

Chilling injury. It is a physiological disorder that occurs in fruits and vegetables and is

caused by exposure to low, non-freezing temperatures.

Color quality rating. This will be used as a tool to rate the color quality of the tomato.

Shriveling index. Shriveling of the tomato was ranked by the appearance of tomato.

Firmness. Will be used to describe the texture of the tomato.

Percent rotting. Percentage of rotting observed.

Rice hull. It is the material that the researchers will use as medium for this study in

prolonging the shelf life of the tomato fruit.

Saw dust. It is the material that the researchers will use as medium for this study in

prolonging the shelf life of the tomato fruit.

Ilocos red and Diamante max. It is the fruit that the researchers will use as a subject for this

study.

Humidity. It refers to the amount of air that causes the tomato fruit to rot.

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