Jeritah Tongonya

Citation

Thesis Title
Ethylene related ripening of ‘SunGold™’ kiwifruit

The traditional green-fleshed ‘Hayward’ and ‘Hort16A’ replacement gold-fleshed ‘SunGold™’ are the currently dominant kiwifruit cultivars in New Zealand. Kiwifruit contributes significantly to New Zealand exports, with ‘SunGold™’ comprising at least 40% of kiwifruit exports. With a projected increase in ‘SunGold™’ kiwifruit volumes, there has been a shift from a single to multiple harvest. The multiple harvest criteria necessitate a re-evaluation of the ethylene temperature-based post-harvest handling practices. Since there is minimal information on ethylene related ripening responses for ‘SunGold, ™’ Ms Tongonya analysed optimal management and performance of the product in the supply chain. Ms Tongonya stored kiwifruit under simulated industrially relevant gaseous environments in temperature-controlled rooms. Ultimately, she developed a fruit physiology-based mathematical model, an important management tool in the supply chain. The model can simultaneously describe how softening and soluble solids increase under dynamic temperature conditions and ethylene concentrations.

Supervisors
Professor Andrew East
Dr Sunny Gwanpua