Delhi researchers succeed in extending shelf life of tomatoes by a month

Researchers at the National Institute of Plant Genome Research in New Delhi have successfully modified tomatoes to extend their shelf life by 30 days, without causing any ill effect.

According to the researchers, the enzymes A-Man and B-Hex that help to increase shelf life of tomatoes, could also be used for other fruit crops like mangoes, apples, etc, to increase their shelf  life.

Dr. Asis Datta's team at the National Institute of Plant Genome Research in New Delhi has identified A-Man and B-Hex as the enzymes that, when sprayed on tomatoes, help increase their shelf life by 45 days.

Datta said, their strategy allowed for the achievement of desired texture, firmness and enhancement of the shelf life without any ill-effects.

With the large scale adoption of the technique it would be possible to transport perishable vegetable and fruits over longer distances to cities and metros like Delhi, Mumbai, etc.

This would also help cut transportation and storage costs for fruits and vegetables. The wastage of raw vegetables and fruits could also be reduced in stores and homes.