Preharvest 1-butanol application delays tomato ripening after harvest

Researchers have shown that applying a 1-butanol solution before harvest can significantly delay tomato ripening during shelf life. The treatment, sprayed directly onto the fruit on the day of harvest, slowed the ripening process for ten days regardless of tomato cultivar or production system.

Reduced ethylene production delays ripening

The study evaluated the 'Petros' and 'Akrai' tomato cultivars grown under both open-field and greenhouse conditions. Researchers compared fruit sprayed with water only against tomatoes treated with a 4% 1-butanol solution before harvest. After harvesting, the fruit were stored for ten days at 20 °C and 85% relative humidity to simulate commercial shelf-life conditions.

The results showed that 1-butanol significantly reduced and delayed ethylene production, the plant hormone responsible for fruit ripening. As a result, treated tomatoes remained at an earlier stage of ripeness throughout storage.

Improved firmness and postharvest quality

The slower ripening process produced tomatoes with greener skin, lower lycopene and β-carotene accumulation, greater skin resistance and firmer flesh after ten days of storage.

In addition to these physical effects, the treatment also enhanced fruit chemical quality by increasing antioxidant activity across all cultivars and production systems. According to the researchers, preharvest 1-butanol application could become a promising strategy for extending tomato shelf life and improving postharvest quality during distribution and marketing.

Source

Thewes, F. R., Carvalho Pinto, B. R., Reis, B. E., dos Santos, M. G., Ressler, Y., da Rosa, B. I., Loss, E., Uhlmann, L. O., & Both, V. (2026). Preharvest 1-butanol spraying to tomatoes delays the postharvest ripening of fruit during shelf life. Postharvest Biology and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2026.113755