COMPLETE SCHOOL PROJECT TOPICS & MATERIALS :
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF STUDY
Tomato (lycopersicumesculentum) is an animal plant, having a weak woody stem covered with glistering red iscultivated in many parts of the world. the tomato plant is widely cultivated in many parts of the world and also has a smooth stain. It is green when immature but becomes bright red or yellow as it ripens. These products are considered important worldwide (Robins et al; 1994).
Tomato fruit is a well vegetable eaten raw as salad or for garnishing various foods in Nigeria as well as in many part of the world. The fruit contains high amount of carbohydrate, fat,organic acid,water,minerals,vitamins and pigments(Reddy,2009)
When spoilt as a result of life process of fungi, yeast and molds, the sugar are rapidly used up being changes into acetic acid lactic acid, alcohol and carbondioxide,the amount of these substances depending on their types of organism which are most activities particular sample in question.
In generally, adequate heat processing is given to tomato paste to achieve commercial sterility (speck 1994), but subsequent abusive post process handling /storage may lead to understand microbiological changes. It is public knowledge that can of tomato paste often show external evidence of spoilage under tropical retail condition (Anon, 1980)
Tomato fruit contains a lot of water which makes them susceptible to spoilage by microorganism.Also,the high water content makes storage and transportation of vegetable difficult. The microorganism reduce not only the nutritional values but also the market value s of tomato fruit. Micro organisms also affect the seller due to the spoilage of tomato.
Hazard analysis and critical control point –HACCP identifies evaluate and control hazards that control or significant for food safety(De Rover, C. 1998)food safety (De Rover, C 1998)
The control of parameter include various factors such as time of harvesting, temperature and moisture during storage, selection of agricultural product prior to processing, decontamination conditions, addition of chemicals at final product storage (Sango, 1995).
Tomatoes were chosen for this study because they are referred to as ready-to-eat food since they are manually processed and many people take tomatoes raw directly or via meals of salad usually served cold. Microbial spoilage and contaminating pathogens on this product poses a serious problem in food safety.
Ecological factors influencing survival and growth of human pathogens or raw growth of human pathogen on raw fruit and vegetables. There are vew reports of studies on micro-organism associated with spoilage of tomato fruit in Nigeria. Similar research cost of test ripened tomato fruits sold in local markets in Gwagwalada has tended to turn the worry public to patronize spoilt tomato fruit because they are relatively cheap. (Benchat, L.R.:2002).
The study was under taken to isolate and identify micro-organisms that are associated or responsible for the spoilage of ripened tomato fruit sold in some market within Gwagwalada metropolis. In addition, the study investigated the toxin producing capacity and the susceptibility of micro-organisms to some antibiotics.
PROBLEM OF THE STUDY
Tomatoes are an attractive cash crop for small scale farmers and provide potential source of employment to many rural and urban people. The tomato fruits have been marketed freshly picked from the field and is the best selling fresh market vegetable crop (AVRDC, 2006).
Despite the human need of tomato, damage as a result of post-fungi spoilage micro-organisms has been of serious concern. Microbial decay is one of the main factors that determine losses and compromises the quality of the produce. The extent of the losses especially through microbial decay has not been quantified in most areas and on the this has been quantified the result are short lived.
Periodic surveys may help to understanding the seventy of losses in a specific place and at a specific time. Estimates of post harvest losses in Gwagwalada have of been established. Therefore, the study aims at establishing estimates of post harvest losses in Nigeria, identify pathogens involved in post a harvest decay of tomato fruits and evaluate ways of managing them using crude plant extracts.
Several kinds of synthetic fungicides have been successfully used to control the post harvest decay of fruits and vegetable (Adasaveg et al, 2009, Kanetis et al, 2002). However, there are three major concerns the increasing consumer concern over pesticide residues on foods which are toxic and caranogenic, predominance of fungicide resistance strains of fungi due to excessive use of fungicides.
- Environmental pollution. Therefore there is need for effective means of post harvest disease control that poses less risk to human health and the environment.
Natural plant products and their analoges have been found as important sources of agricultural bio-pesticides which serve as anti-microbial properties of the plant extracts (Cardelina, 1995, Okigbo, 2009). Arokiyaraj et al (2008), (2009), reported that plants are sources of natural pesticides that lead in new pesticide development. Anti-fungal and anti-fungil components of neem plant leaf, ginger rhizome, and garlic bulb crude extracts on root pathogen of post harvest tomatoes fruits were also targeted in this study.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
- What is the current status and causes of post-harvest losses of tomato in Gwagwalada?
- What fungi classess facilitate food spoilage in tomoties?
- Does tomato cultivars grown of formers influence post harvest losses?
- What are the effects of the selected plant crude extracts on the major pathogens causing roots on harvested tomatoes?
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study provides important information on the current status, causes of post-harvest losses of tomatoes in Gwagwalada and their management using crude plant extracts. The output is this study will be important in reducing tomato post-harvest losses by improving the efficiency of post-harvest handling due to better post-harvest management strategies.