TOMATO MATURITY EVALUATION USING COLOR IMAGE-ANALYSIS

A color image analysis procedure was developed to classify fresh tomatoes into six maturity stages according to the USDA standard classification: Green, Breakers, Turning, Pink, Light Red, and Red. RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) images of each tomato were captured and converted to HSI (Hue, Saturation, and Intensity) values. Classification was based on the aggregated percent surface area below certain hue angles. A Tomato Maturity Index (TMI) was developed to indicate the degree of maturity within each stage and to provide a continuous index over the complete maturity range. Classification results agreed with manual grading in 77% of the tested tomatoes, and all samples were classified within one maturity stage difference.