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Effects of Different Storage Treatments on the Shelf Life of Litchi

M. Aklimuzzaman
Instructor
Agricultural Training Institute, Department of Agricultural Extension, Gaibandha, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Fruits in unperforated polyethylene bag with litchi leaves were found as the best treatment. The pericarp completely turned into brown within 3 days of storage at ambient condition, but fruits kept in unperforated polyethylene bag with litchi leaves retained its bright red colour at the end of the storage period (9 days). Other parameters like weight loss, dry matter content and pulp pH increased, but moisture content and vitamin C content decreased with the duration of storage in all treatments. The minimum weight loss was observed in fruits stored in unperforated polyethylene bag without litchi leaves. Disease incidence and severity level was higher in hot water treated fruits than the fruits kept in unperforated polyethylene bag with and without litchi leaves. Significant variation was observed in relation to shelf life. The fruits kept in unperforated polyethylene bag with litchi leaves showed the longest (9 days) shelf life than the fruits kept in unperforated polyethylene bag without litchi leaves (7.66 days) and fruits treated with hot water (4.33 days) respectively. The control fruit had only 3 days shelf life.

Keywords: Litchi, Shelflife, Storage Treatments

Location: Laboratories of the Department of Horticulture, Biochemistry and Plant Pathology of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh

Start Date: 01-06-2007

End Date: 01-10-2007

Program Area: Postharvest and Agro-processing

Commodity: Litchi

Objectives:

1.To find out suitable post harvest treatment to extend shelf life

2.To study post harvest diseases with their causal pathogens as influenced by different post harvest treatment of litchi.

Methodology:

Fully ripe mature litchi fruits of variety ‘China 3’ were used to carry out the present experiment. The single factor experiment consists of the four treatments viz. T₁ = Control (fruits not wrapped), T₂ = Fruit treated with hot water at 50 ± 2^oC for 10 minutes, T₃ = Fruits wrapped in unperforated plastic bag (35×20) without litchi leaves, and T₄ = Fruits wrapped in unperforted plastic bag with 20 litchi leaves. The experiment was laid out in CRD with three replications of 13 fruits. A total of 156 fruits were randomly selected from the harvested fruits. Thirteen fruits were kept inside the unperforated plastic bag (35×20) without litchi leaves (T₃) and with 20 leaves (T₄) for each replication. The peel and pulp weight were measured separately by an electric balance. Vitamin C content was determined by the method developed by Reo (1954). Total soluble solids (TSS) content of litchi pulp was estimated by using Abbe’s Refractometer. Pulp pH was determined by pH meter (Hanna). Postharvest browning of China 3’ was found infected by Rhizopus and Penicillium spp. The pathogens were identified as per the descriptions of Mukherji (1972).

Data were recorded on colour, pericarp browning, total weight loss, disease incidence and disease severity at an interval of 1 day from marked fruits. Moisture content, dry matter content, TSS, pulp to peel ratio, vitamin C content and pulp pH at an intervals of 2 days. The collected data were statistically analyzed by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test. The means of different parameters were compared by least significant difference (LSD) as described by Gomez and Gomez (1984). For percentage data arcsine transformations were carried out to satisfy the assumption of ANOVA.

Source of Information: J. Patuakhali Sci. and Tech. Univ. 2013, 4(1): 85-95

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The findings of the present investigation indicated that peel colour, pericarp browning, total weight loss, dry mater content, pulp pH, disease incidence and disease severity increased throughout the storage period. The increasing rate was slower in fruits kept in polyethylene bag with litchi leaves. On the other hand, pulp to peel ratio, moisture content, TSS and vitamin C content increased initially but declined afterward. Considering the above parameters the post harvest treatments unperforated polyethylene bag with litchi leaves was found to be the best to extend the shelf life as well as the quality. For short-term storage of litchi fruits unperforated plastic bag with litchi leaves wood be recommended. However, more than twenty leaves and over 50^oC temperature would be examined in further for reduction of post harvest losses, extending shelf life and in maintaining quality of litchi fruits.

Knowledge Management: Journal