Effect of temperature on storage of Coorg mandarins (Citrus reticulata Blanco)

Abstract

An investigation was carried out to compare the effectiveness of postharvest dip treatment with waxol (3%) combined with and without packing in ventilated polythene bags (polybags) on storage behavior and keeping quality of winter crop of Coorg mandarins at ambient (15 + 2 ºC) and low temperature (10 + 1 ºC) conditions. In unpacked fruits, waxol treatment showed significantly lower PLW as compared to untreated control after 19 and 42 days of storage at room and low temperatures respectively. In fruits packed in polybags, waxol treatment showed least PLW (5.16%), followed by untreated control (9.83%) at room temperatures. Packing in ventilated polybags helped in minimizing the weight losses significantly, as compared to unpacked treatments. Juice content decreased during storage for 19 and 42 days at room (25 + 2 ºC) and low temperature (10 + 1 ºC) respectively. In fruits packed in polybags, the juice content varied from 42.7 to 42.8% at room temperatures storage and 36.1 to 40.8% at low temperatures storage. At room temperatures storage the peel and weight decreased during 19 days storage period in untreated control and waxol 3% treatments (50.6 to 42.5% and 50.6 to 44.4% respectively.) Total titratable acidity expressed as percent citric acid decreased during storage at both room and low temperatures. At the end of the storage under room temperature conditions, the increase was seen from 4.04 to 7.33% in waxol treated fruits packed in polybags. waxol treated fruits kept in polybags had good colour, freshness, flavour and taste as compared to other treatments during the storage period of 19 days at room temperature and 42 days at low temperature (10 + 1 ºC). Overall, waxol treatment was found to be better than other treatments, since it showed reduced weight losses, retained good colour, freshness, flavour and taste both at room temperature (25 + 2 ºC) and low temperature (10 + 1 ºC) storage. Packing the fruits (untreated control and waxol treated in ventilated polybags was found to be better as compared to without packing at low temperature storage.