The influence of cultivar and maturity stage at harvest over the weight, quality and weight loss through cure of onions was evaluated for cultivars Granex, Baia Periforme and Jubileu. Harvesting 15 days before the drop of tops did not affect the total bulb fresh weight or total soluble content, which were function of the genotype tested. Earlier harvesting, 15 days before maturation, significantly reduced the total soluble solids for 'Baia Periforme'. The bulbs presented small amount of starch, bellow 0.16% of the fresh weight. The general average for total soluble sugars was 6.8%; 11.5% and 10.8% of bulb's fresh weight, for the early hybrid 'Granex', the middle season cultivar Baia Periforme and late season cultivar Jubileu, respectively. Hharvesting bulbs in 15 days after the tops tall over, induced significant increase in the total soluble phenolic compounds in the skin of the bulb for 'Baia Periforme' and 'Jubileu', known as yellow dark skin cultivars. During the cure of the bulbs, harvesting 15 days before the top tall over, a higher rate of fresh weight loss was observed, irrespective of the genotype tested.
Allium cepa; soluble solids; soluble sugars; starch; phenolics; weight loss