Mizrach, Amos, Volcani Cent, Israel
Galili, Naftali, Volcani Cent, Israel
Rosenhouse, Giora, Volcani Cent, Israel

Preliminary studies indicate that ultrasonic excitation may allow nondestructive evaluation of the quality of selected fruits and vegetables. Ultrasonic surface wave velocity and attenuation in the peel of whole melon and avocado fruits were tested to determine the ripening process. Experimental setup for nondestructive, whole-fruit testing included an ultrasonic head with transmitter, receiver, and special arrangement to allow inclined transmission and reception of ultrasonic signals. A summary of previous experiments related to ultrasonic testing of fruit tissue and fruit halves is also presented.