Fruit quality changes during ripening of acerola under semi-arid conditions

Fruit quality changes substantially during acerola ripening, and these responses may vary among genotypes under semi-arid growing conditions. This study evaluated fruit quality across four maturity stages in 23 acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC.) genotypes grown under semi-arid conditions. The experiment was arranged in a 23 × 4 factorial scheme in a randomized complete block design with three blocks. Fruit diameter, mass, luminosity, chroma, hue angle, compression force, soluble solids (SS), titratable acidity (TA), SS/TA ratio, and vitamin C were evaluated. Data were subjected to factorial analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s test (p < 0.05). Maturity stage significantly affected all traits (p < 0.001). From stage 1 to stage 4, fruit diameter increased from 15.58 to 23.36 and mass from 21.03 to 64.49 g, whereas compression force decreased markedly after stage 2, reaching 11.19 N at stage 4. Hue angle declined from 115.24 to 26.68, reflecting pronounced color development. SS increased from 8.29 to 9.26%, while TA peaked at stage 2 (1.68%) and decreased thereafter, resulting in the highest SS/TA ratio at stage 4 (6.56). Vitamin C remained similar between stages 1 and 2 but declined from approximately 3050 to 1634.6 mg 100 g⁻¹ by stage 4. Genotype × maturity interaction was significant for most traits. Overall, acerola ripening under semi-arid conditions was characterized by fruit growth, softening, color development, increased SS/TA ratio, and substantial vitamin C loss.