Introduction
The flavour and taste of tomatoes are determined by several factors including nutrition, mineral availability, and sunlight exposure. These general factors play a significant role since they affect other small factors, such as the chloroplast, which further affects the taste of tomatoes. The quality of tomatoes grown in the same region can have different flavours. This aspect can be due to the difference in a variety or the nutrition present in the soil. However, the taste of the tomatoes can be attributed to the degree of ripeness as well (Bruno & Wetzel, 2004). There are several practices, such as picking tomatoes before they ripen, which may also affect the taste and flavour. Several studies have been conducted on the effects of potassium and phosphorous on the taste and quality of tomatoes. It is no doubt that the type of nutrients provided to the plant has a significant effect on the quality and taste as well.
It is imperative to note that assessing the quality and taste of tomatoes is a complicated task. There are several factors that must be considered so as to attain the appropriate assessment. The intensity of flavour attributes of tomatoes is determined significantly by the quantity of sugar (glucose and fructose), the volatile compound composition, and the organic acid content (total acidity, citric acid, and malic acid). In most cases, people prefer the flavor that is associated with high soluble solids and titratable acidity ratios. In other words, the flavour that is considered the best flavour is attributed to high sugar and high acid content. In this research, a control experiment will be conducted to investigate the effect of chloroplast on the flavour and taste of tomatoes.
Hypothesis
The green chloroplasts in the fruit play a significant role in determining the sweetness and flavour of tomato fruit.
Controlled Experiment Method
The aim of this experiment will be to determine whether chloroplast affects the flavour and sweetness of the tomatoes. As a consequence, only one factor will be controlled while other factors affecting the flavour will be set to remain constant. Two separate batches of tomatoes were used for this experiment. The tomatoes were from the same species (Heinz 1706). A greenhouse was used for this experiment where other factors such as temperature, sunlight, CO2 and humidity were controlled (Bruno & Wetzel, 2004). The soil used for this experiment was a garden soil with no added fertilisers or chemicals.
The temperature of the tomatoes was kept between 10 to 35 degree Celcius. Humidity was kept in a range of 30 to 90 percent while CO2 concentration was maintained at 200 to 1500 micro-mol/mol. The experiment was conducted for 100 days. The first batch (batch A) was exposed the appropriate amount of sunlight while the second batch (Batch) was grown in a section where the light was limited. The first batch (Batch A) was subjected to daily light lengths between 8 to 16 hours for it to grow, flower and develop fruits. The other batch was subjected to limited light lengths. Light lengths and CO2 concentration determine the photosynthesis and the concentration of biomass.
Results
After a period of 100 days, the tomatoes from the two batches were collected and tested for flavour. It was determined that the tomatoes from batch A had better taste and grew as expected. On the other hand, the tomatoes from batch B had s poor taste and did not grow well. The plants from batch A had a mixture of both green and red colour while the tomatoes from batch B had a red colour. The discoloration is as a result of the failure of green chloroplasts, present in the tissue, to develop into red chloroplasts. Chloroplast utilises sunlight to generate sugar (fructose and glucose) which is a major factor that determines the taste of the fruit. The Proper amount of sunlight is required for the generation and balance of the right amount of sugar. Sunlight was controlled to control the amount of chloroplast generated in the fruits.
Conclusion
It is apparent that the taste of the tomatoes is affected by the amount of chloroplast in the fruit. It is responsible for generating fructose and glucose which determine the flavour of the fruit. Fruits with both green and red coloration taste better than the perfectly red coloured tomato fruits. The process of generating fructose and glues into a better flavour is determined by the amount of chloroplasts that are turned from green to red.
References
Bruno, A. K., & Wetzel, C. M. (2004). The early light-inducible protein (ELIP) gene is
expressed during the chloroplast-to-chromoplast transition in ripening tomato
fruit. Journal of Experimental Botany, 55(408), 2541-2548.
