Effect of harvesting date, storage environment and postharvest treatment on shelf life of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) fruits.

J.K. Nigam and Ganesh Kumar

Department of Horticulture, G.B.P.U.A.&T., Pantnagar - 263 145, Uttaranchal, India.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2001.v03i02.14

Key words: chemical composition, cold storage, crop quality, fruits, gibberellic acid, harvesting date, plant composition, plant growth regulators, postharvest decay, postharvest treatment, storage, storage decay, storage life, storage losses, titratable acidity, wa
Abstract: L. chinensis (cv. Rose Scented) fruits harvested from 16-year-old trees grown in Pantnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India, on 3 and 6 June [year not given] were subjected to various postharvest treatments (dipping of fruits in 200 ppm gibberellic acid or in 16.6, 20.0, and 25.0% wax emulsion for 2 minutes) and stored under ambient (21.8-29.0 degrees C and 41.0-98.0% relative humidity) or cold (5 degrees C and 85% relative humidity) storage conditions for 8 days. Physiological weight loss (PLW) and spoilage increased, whereas titratable acidity decreased with the increase in storage duration. Total soluble solid content increased up to 5 days of storage, then decreased thereafter. Fruits harvested on 3 and 6 June had lower PLW when treated with 25% wax emulsion (3.94 and 4.76%, respectively) and stored under cold conditions (4.32 and 4.43%, respectively). Fruits harvested on 3 June exhibited lower spoilage incidence when stored under ambient temperature (25.64%) than under cold conditions (26.33%). For fruits harvested



Journal of Applied Horticulture