THE EFFECTS OF POST HARVEST TREATMENTS ON FRUIT QUALITY OF HA GIANG SANH ORANGE (Citrus sinensis L.)

Abstract

Orange fruits, a type of citrus fruits, are susceptible to damages due to their crispy, easily crushed peel and high risk of pathogen infection. This study aimed to investigate the suitable postharvest treatment to prolong storage shelf-life of Ha Giang Sanh orange. Fruit peel of Ha Giang Sanh orange was washed by distilled water (control): (i) Or treated with other six solutions, including; (ii) CaCl₂ 0.1%; (iii) CaCl₂ 0.15%; (iv) CaCl₂ 0.2%; (v) Ca(OH)₂ 0.1%; (vi) Ca(OH)₂ 0.15%; (vii) Ca(OH)₂ 0.2%. The results showed that overall postharvest treatments had positive effects on maintaining fruit quality and on prolonging shelf-life of Ha Giang Sanh orange fruits after harvest. Specifically, the most positive output after 30 days of storage resulted from the treatment when the fruits were treated with the solution CaCl₂ 0.15% in 20 minutes, wrapped in LDPE bags holed 0.5% of the bag surface area and stored at 16 - 18^oC. In this treatment, the fruit rot rate was 9.58%, fruit firmness was reduced to 73.3%, total soluble solids content is 10,0% compare to the initial value while the sensory value was relatively good.