Factors affecting maturity of fruits and vegetables

Temperature

Higher temperature gives early maturity. e.g. Gulabi (Pink) grapes mature in 100 days in Western India but only 82 days are enough in the warmer Northern India. Lemon and guava take less time to mature in summer than in winter. Sun-scorched portions of fruits are characterized by chlorophyll loss, yellowing, the disappearance of starch and other alcohol insoluble material, an increase in TSS content, a decrease in acidity and softening.

Soil

The soil on which the fruit tree is grown affects the time of maturity. e.g. Grapes are harvested earlier on light sandy soils than on heavy clays.

Size of planting material

This factor in propagated fruits affects fruit maturity. e.g. In pineapple, the number of days taken from flowering to fruit maturity was more by planting large suckers and slips than by smaller ones.

Closer spacing

Close spacing of hill bananas hastened maturity.
Pruning intensity: It enhanced the maturity of Flordasun and sharbati Peaches.

Girdling

Process of constricting the periphery of a stem which blocks the downward translocation of CHO, hormones, etc. Beyond the constriction which rather accumulates above it. In Grapevines, it hastens maturity, reduces the green berries in unevenly maturity cultivar and lowers the number of short berries. It is ineffective when done close to harvest. CPA has an additive effect with girdling.