Characterization of Attributes in Dehusked Coconut

A. Asha Monicka; T. Pandiarajan; S. Ganapathy; C. Indu Rani; R. Sathy

doi:10.52151/jae2017544.1637

Authors

A. Asha Monicka Research Scholar, Department of Food and Agricultural Process Engineering, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore Author
T. Pandiarajan Professor, Department of Food and Agricultural Process Engineering, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore Author
S. Ganapathy Professor, Department of Food and Agricultural Process Engineering, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore Author
C. Indu Rani Assistant Professor, (Horticulture), Department of Food and Agricultural Process Engineering, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore Author
R. Sathy Professor (Maths), Department of Physical Science and Information Technology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-641003. Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52151/jae2017544.1637

Keywords:

Dehusked coconut, physical properties, correlation and frequency distribution

Abstract

Selected physical properties of dehusked coconut as length, width, thickness, geometric mean diameter, sphericity, surface area, bulk density and true density were investigated. Compositional changes in coconut fruits, including volume and weight, shell weight, weight of mature coconut water, wet and dry flesh weight, thickness of the flesh and shell were also evaluated. The average fruit length, major diameter and minor diameter were 99.2±13.3 mm, 91.5±8.9 mm, and 89.5±8.7 mm, respectively; while the sphericity, true density, bulk density and surface area were 0.90±0.05, 998±68.8 kg.m-3, 483±37.3 kg.m-3 and 274.2±50.4 cm2 , respectively. The frequency distribution of the major diameter and the fruit mass followed the Gaussian model. Correlations between fruit characteristics were also determined. Results indicated that fruit weight and total wet flesh weight were closely correlated, and both of these characteristics can be used as an indicator of fruit size.