Effect of post-harvest treatment and packaging on the keeping quality of fresh guava fruit.
Combrink J. C., Kock S. L. de, Eeden C. J. van
Author Affiliation: Fruit and Fruit Technology Research Institute, Private Bag X5013, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa.
Acta Horticulturae : 639-645
Abstract : Guava fruits (cv. Fan Retief) picked at the mature green stage were surface-sterilized then immersed in water or procymidone at 1 g/litre (Sumisclex 50% w.p.). After drying, the fruits were treated with 0, 0.5 or 1.0% Semperfresh (an aqueous suspension of fatty acid sucrose esters) and then stored at 4.5°C for 1, 2 or 3 weeks followed by 3 days at 20° prior to evaluation. The experiment was repeated with fruits harvested 2 weeks later. Fruits which had no pretreatment were packed into 3 types of polyethylene bag: perforated, 32 ?m thick and 100 pin-holes/bag (PPB), non-perforated (NPB) and polyethylene 25 ?m thick coated with a natural mineral compound (IPB). The bags were stored at 4.5°, 10° and 20° for 1, 2 and 3 weeks. In the first trial, all fruits were completely decayed after 3 weeks. After 2 weeks, decay in the fungicide-treated fruits ranged from 40 to 59%. Procymidone had a greater effect than Semperfresh. In the repeat experiment, 64 to 79% of the fruits not treated with fungicide had decayed. Significantly less decay occurred in fruits treated with 1% Semperfresh after 1 and 3 weeks' storage. Two weeks at 4.5° was considered the maximum storage life. Storage in NPB and IPB significantly reduced decay from 98.3% to 38.3 and 31.7%, respectively, at 4.5° for 3 weeks. Two weeks' storage was considered optimum. Fruits packed in PPB decayed at the same rate as the control. Storage temperature had a significant effect on decay.