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Postharvest Quality and Shelf Life of Dragon Fruit (hylocereus Spp.) as Influenced by Preharvest Fruit Bagging Materials

S. Chowdhury
Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh

M. M. Hossain
Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh

M. A. Rahim
Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh

T. Ferdous
Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

This research was conducted at the Bangladesh Agricultural University Germplasm Centre (BAU-GPC), Mymensingh during the period from May 2018 to September 2019 with a view to determining the effect of preharvest fruit bagging materials as well as a variety on the yield, postharvest qualities and shelf life of dragon fruit. The two-factor experiment was comprised of two varieties viz., V₁: BAU dragon fruit-1 (White flesh) and V₂: BAU dragon fruit-2 (Red flesh) and five bagging materials viz., T₀: non-bag (Control), T_CB: cloth bag, T_BB: brown paper bag, T_BP: black polythene bag and T_WP: white polythene bag. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Results showed that fruit bagging with black polythene bag significantly improved fruit fresh weight (287.47 g), fruit diameter (7.91 cm), peel-flesh ratio (5.97), total dry weight (61.33 g/fruit), reduced days to maturity (22 days) and peel weight (48.11 g) of BAU dragon fruit-1 while black polythene bag extended shelf life (12.05 days), increased total soluble solids (TSS) (14.40%) and reduced peel thickness (0.21 cm) of BAU dragon fruit-2. From the findings of this study, it can be stated that preharvest fruit bagging with a black polythene bag would be the best option as a bagging material to improve the yield, postharvest quality and shelf life of dragon fruit.

Keywords: Dry matter content, Flesh-peel ratio, Peel thickness, pH, TSS, Dragon fruit

Location: Bangladesh Agricultural University Germplasm Centre (BAU-GPC), Mymensingh

Start Date: 00-05-2018

End Date: 00-09-2019

Program Area: Postharvest and Agro-processing

Commodity: Dragon fruit

Objectives:

To investigate the effect of preharvest fruit bagging materials on the yield, postharvest quality, and shelf life of dragon fruit.

Methodology:

The experiment was conducted at the Bangladesh Agricultural University Germplasm Centre (BAU-GPC), Mymensingh, during the period from May 2018 - September 2019. The experimental site is situated between 24.46^°N latitude and 90.24^°E longitude and having an altitude of 18m from sea level. The soil of the experimental area is sandy loam type and belonging to the old Brahmaputra Flood Plain Alluvial Tract of AEZ 9 having noncalcareous dark grey flood plain soil. The selected area was medium-high land. The land was well-drained, fertile and slightly acidic with p^H ranges from 5.4 to 6.7. During the study period the average maximum and minimum temperature, as well as relative humidity, were 34.01⁰C, 25.30^°C and 85.61%, respectively. The two-factor experiment was conducted following Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The experimental treatments were comprised of two varieties dragon fruit viz., V₁: BAU dragon fruit-1 (White flesh) and V₂: BAU dragon fruit-2 (Red flesh) and five different types of bagging materials viz., T₀: non-bag (Control), T_CB: cloth bag, T_BB: brown paper bag, T_BP: black polythene bag and T_WP: white polythene bag. Ten fruits for each treatment and variety were properly covered with bagging materials and ten similar-aged fruits were kept open as control. Fruit bagging was executed 15 days after fruit setting (DAFS) with different bagging materials. A small portion of two corners of each bag was cut off in order to prevent water deposition inside the bag. Bags were firmly fixed with the help of rope so that water and insects could not enter them. Fruits were harvested at full mature stages. Five fruits were randomly selected from each replication of each treatment and analyzed to determine days to maturity (days), fruit length (cm), diameter (cm), fresh weight (cm), fresh weight (g), peel weight (g), the thickness of peel (cm), flesh-peel ratio, edible rate (%). Fifty grams (50 g) of fresh fruit sample from each treatment was taken and cut into small pieces on an aluminum foil and oven-dried at 70⁰C until the constant weight was attained. The pH of dragon fruit was determined by using an electric pH meter. The pH meter was calibrated with the help of a buffer solution (pH: 4.0, pH: 7.0) according to the method described by Ranganna (1994). Samples of 10 g fresh flesh were homogenized in 10 ml de-ionized water pH 7.0 and the flesh of homogenate was measured with the pH meter. Total soluble solids (TSS) content of dragon fruit was estimated by using Abbe’s Refractometer (ATAGO Company Ltd., Japan). A drop of dragon fruit juice was squeezed from the fruit flesh and taken into the prism of the refractometer and % TSS was recorded from the direct reading of the instrument. Temperature correction was made using the temperature correction chart. After recording morphological and other traits of fruits for each bagging treatment and variety, fruits were stored in the postgraduate laboratory of the Department of Horticulture at ambient conditions (30±2?C) to observed the storage duration. The shelf life of fruits was counted from the date of harvesting to the last edible stage. The collected data on various parameters were statistically analyzed using MSTATC statistical package program. The means for all the treatments were calculated and the analysis of variances (ANOVA) for all the parameters was compared by the least significant difference (LSD) test at 5% and 1% levels of probability (Gomez and Gomez, 1984).

Source of Information: Journal of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Vol 1 No 4 December 2020 Pages 33-40

Article Link (Online Journal): DOI: https://doi.org/10.47440/JAFE.2020.1406

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

It can be concluded that both the varieties of dragon fruit showed superior performances in respect of most of the parameters studied. On the other hand, black polythene bag enhanced days to maturity, improved length diameter fruit flesh weight, edible rate, length, diameter, lower peel thickness, higher dry matter content as well as TSS content. Hence, a black polythene bag could be recommended as a suitable bagging material for improving the quality and shelf life of dragon fruit at Mymensingh condition.

Knowledge Management: Journal