Maturity Indices

Maturity is derived from a Latin word “maturus” which means ripening.

It is that stage of fruit development, which ensures attainment of maximum edible quality at the completion of
ripening process. Maturity indices are also referred as “maturity standards”. Signs can help in determining
maturity of vegetables crops. Knowledge in maturity indices is vital because the market value depends upon the
quality of the produce. It is necessary to harvest vegetables at proper stage of maturity to facilitate
proper ripening, distant transportation and maximum storage life.

According to Anonymous (2007), maturity is the stage at which a crop is harvestable. Maturity index is an
observable indication or sign that a particular
crop is ready for harvest in terms of size, color, weight, texture, and shape in
some vegetable crops.
Importance of maturity indices:
• Ensure sensory quality (flavor, color, aroma, texture) and nutritional quality
• Ensure an adequate postharvest shelf life
• Facilitate scheduling of harvest and packing operations
• Facilitate marketing

Types of Maturity
1. Physiological Maturity. The stage in the growth and development of a crop that
marks the beginning of aging of the tissue. It is generally referred to as ripening.

2. Commercial Maturity. The stage in the development of a crop in relation to time of

harvest according to use or market demand. For example, most often, potatoes
are harvested even if the particular variety planted did not reach its expected age of
maturity when the demand is high. In the case of beans, the pods can be harvested as young pods or dried bean
seeds. In beans and peas, there are three stages of maturity as follows:
1. Tender pods – when the product desired is the tender pods (e.g. pole and bush sitao, snap beans)
2. Tender seed stage –when the product desired is the tender seeds (e.g. lima beans, cadios)
3. Ripened seed stage –when the product desired is the ripened seeds which are mainly used as seeds (e.g.
mungbean, cowpea).

Maturity Determination
1. Visual Methods

 Skin Color. This factor is commonly applied to fruits, since skin color changes as it ripens or matures.

 Size. The shape of the fruit can change during maturation and can be used as a characteristic to
determine harvest maturity.

 Fruit size. Some vegetables will reach a certain size, which can be used as index for optimum time of
harvest. The presence of abscission zones between the stem and the stem end in somefruits such as
tomato, peas and beans have been observed to
become prominent at maturity.

2. Feel Method
This method is done mainly by touch of the fingers with respect to firmness, crispiness
 and sound. For example, in bottle gourd, tomatoes, beans and peas, the matured fruits will
easily give way when a slight pressure is applied to detach the fruits with the fingers.
3. Chemical Analysis
In this method, the acidity, starch and sugar content are measured. High sugar content indicates maturity.
Acid content in some fruits falls with maturity, thus, low acid content indicates maturity.
4. Physical Means
Use of pressure tester – use to measure the softness of a fruit.
Specific Gravity - in practice, the fruit or vegetable is weighed in air divided by the weight in water gives the
specific gravity. As a fruit matures its specific gravity increases. This parameter is rarely used to determine
time of harvest, but could be used in cases where development of a suitable sampling technique is possible.
5. Computation Method
Days from flowering to harvesting
Days from planting to harvesting

Maturity Indices of Vegetable Crops

Maturity is the attainment of the particular size or stage after which ripening takes place. The quality of the
produce cannot be improved but it can be presented when harvesting is done at proper stage of maturity.

Table 12. Maturity indices of some vegetable crops based from Bautista
(1977).
Crop Maturity Indices
Reached desirable size and the tips of
Okra
which can be snapped readily.
Pulp surrounding the seeds is jelly-like,
seeds slip away from the knife
For long-distance shipment, it is
Tomato
harvested at mature green stage
The ripe stage indicates that most of the
surface is pink or red and firm
Eggplant, Ampalaya, Immature (over mature if color dulls or
Chayote changes and seeds are tough)
Immature (over mature if thumbnail
Upo, Patola
cannot penetrate flesh readily)
Cowpea, sitao, snap
bean, batao, sweet Well – filled pods that snap readily
pea, winged bean
Sweet pepper Deep green color turning dull green or red
Exudes milky sap when thumbnail
Sweet corn
penetrate kernel
Lettuce,Pechay, Big enough but before flowering unless
Mustard flowers are desired
Head compact (over mature if head
Cabbage
cracks)
Celery Big enough but before it becomes pithy
Large enough and crispy ( over mature if
Radish, Carrot
pithy)
Potato, Onion, Garlic Tops begin to dry and topple down
Large enough ( over mature if tough and
Yam bean, Ginger
fibrous)
Curd is compact: absence of florets ( over
Cauliflower, Brocolli
mature if florets are opened)
Harvesting
The consumer can define quality in produce as the composite of
characteristics that differentiates individual items within a commodity and
have a significant influence in determining the level of acceptance.
Careful and correct harvest techniques are essential in ensuring the quality of
harvested produce and preventing rejections at the pack house. Bruises,
breakage, and wounds during harvest can provide entry points for pathogens
causing decay. Those involved in harvesting must be trained in efficient and
careful handling of fresh produce.
Harvested vegetables over a wide range of physiological stages, depending
upon which part of the plant as foods used should be considered. For
example, small or immature vegetables possess better texture and quality
than mature or over-mature vegetables. Therefore, harvesting vegetables at
proper stage of maturity is important in attaining desirable quality.
The principles of Tender, Love and Care (TLC) must be observed
during harvesting to avoid damages of the produce.

Preparations Prior to Harvesting

1. Conduct field inspection. Check if there are crops that are ready for harvest.
2. Remove obstructions in the field to facilitate harvesting and avoid damages to the produce.
3. Construct a temporary shed to stack harvests to prevent from sun scalding.
4. Prepare harvesting tools, collecting baskets with liners, packaging and other materials used in
harvesting.

Table 13. Harvesting Tools and Materials

Tools Materials
Collecting baskets with liners (e.g. newspaper,
Pruning shears
banana leaves, rice hay)
Knife Plastic crates with liners
Scissors Wooden crates with liners
Corrugated boxes
Plastic roll bags
Perforated plastic bags

Principles of TLC
Produce/vegetables are living organisms
Handle harvests with extra care
Do not toss the fruits
Gently lay down the harvests
Do not step on the piled produce
Do not make the pile too high to avoid heat up
Importance of Harvesting at Proper stage of Maturity
To ensure the quality of the produce
To reduce losses
Importance of Stacking and Storing Vegetable Crops in a Cool and Dry
Place
To maintain the freshness of the produce
To prolong the shelf life of harvested vegetable crops
Good Practices during Harvesting
1. Containers used for collecting produce
must be smooth (use of liners)
must be cleaned
must not be overfilled
2. Harvested produce
must not come into contact with oil, chemicals and dirty
surfaces
must not be dropped
must be gently transferred to collecting baskets and protect
from sun or rain until such time it can be transported to
target markets
3. Cuts and bruises must be avoided during harvesting operations
Time of harvest. The time of the day and the prevailing weather
conditions can influence produce quality and shelf life:
Produce must be harvested during the coolest time of the
day when the physiological activity of fruits is low.
Produce must not be harvested when wet, because it
generates heat and decays quickly.
Harvested produce must be maintained in a cool and shady
area with adequate ventilation
Methods of Harvesting Vegetable Crops
1. Manual harvesting. Manual harvesting is one of the most popular
methods of harvesting produce. To ensure the quality of the produce,
one must be trained on proper harvesting. Selective harvesting by welltrained and experienced
harvesters ensures that fruit is harvested only
at its peak ripeness.
2. Mechanical harvesting. Mechanical harvesting results in a significant
reduction in management and labor costs and can result in savings as
high as 30-45 per cent. Mechanical harvesting is recommended for
large-scale operations where labor is not available.
Reducing Damage to Produce
To all vegetables, care should be taken to prevent injury due to harvesting
and handling errors. A crucial factor to give emphasis is during harvesting
operations. The hands of the harvest worker are the most important hands
that ever touch the product. Several management practices can reduce or
eliminate harvest injury.
Remove protruding nails or staples and smooth the rough edges on
field containers.
Harvest workers should not have long, sharp fingernails.
Use care in dumping products from one container to another.
Use padding on all impact areas when possible.
Clean sand and all debris out of all containers.
Do not overfill containers. Severe damage can result when stacked.
Consider the time of the day of harvest. Many products are more turgid
in the early morning and bruise more ea