Quality of fruits of pitaya (Hylocereus undatus [Haworth] Britton & Rose) according to physiological maturity. A review

The fruit of pitaya has occupied a growing niche in the fruit market, since its organoleptic characteristics and rusticity have attracted the attention of consumers and producers, respectively. The organoleptic and nutritional quality of fruits are due to maturity stage. Therefore, determining the period in which the fruits reach the physiological maturity is important, since it aids the planning of the harvest and the quality control of fruits. In this sense, the aim of this review is establish the ideal period for harvesting their fruits of pitaya (Hylocereus undatus), by determining of the physiological maturity point. For this species, the number of days from anthesis to the full development of the fruit has shown to be the most reliable variable to determine the moment of harvest. From this designation, it is possible to indicate the stage (physiological maturity) in which the fruits present characteristics favorable to the species, for example, color, soluble solids content, ratio, and others. It is known that the place of production and the edaphoclimatic conditions are able to interfere and cause variation in the period in which the fruits reach the physiological maturity. Some studies in Mexico confirmed that the physiological maturation of pitaya fruits occurred between 25 and 31 days after anthesis (DAA). Other researches, including in Brazil, confirmed that this point occurred from 28 to 32 DAA. Thus, from the scientific studies carried out and published in the literature, to avoid losing their commercial value of fruits, it is recommended to harvest this fruits of pitaya between 25 and 32 DAA.