Mass modelling of pepper berries (Piper nigrum L.) with some physical properties

Abstract

The determination of correlations between mass with its physical properties such as dimensions, volume and projected area is crucial in the design and development of some post-harvest processing. In this study, the physical properties were measured, and the mass of Kuching pepper berries variety was predicted in four models including Linear, Quadratic, S-curve and Power. Thus, the study was aimed to determine the most applicable model for predicting pepper berry mass with their physical properties and determine some physical properties of pepper berries to form essential and useful information. The results showed that mass modelling based on the actual volume of pepper berries was more applicable compared to other properties with the highest determination coefficient, 0.995 at 1% probability level. From the economic standpoint, predicting mass based on actual volume as Quadratic form: M = 0.828 - 0.015X + 7.376 x 10-5X 2 is recommended. This study can be applied for improvement in handling and packaging system in future.