ศูนย์นวัตกรรมเทคโนโลยีหลังการเก็บเกี่ยว

Use of ethylene gas for degreening of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis Osbeck) cv. Mosambi.

Ladaniya, M. S. and Singh, S.

Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research. 2001. 60: pp. 662-667.

2001

บทคัดย่อ

Ethylene gas was applied by trickle method to 'Mosambi' sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) fruits in a specially designed chamber (170 cm length x 170 cm width x 227 cm height, internal dimensions) for degreening. Three sprays of carbendazim (500 ppm) were applied to fruits on the tree at 15 days interval prior to harvesting. Complete degreening of green but mature Mosambi fruits (TSS 9-10% and titratable acidity nearly 0.30%) was achieved within 48 h with 5-10 ppm ethylene at 27-29 deg C and 90-95% RH with four air changes/h and air circulation of 0.5-0.6 litres s- kg- fruit. Ethylene-exposed fruit developed bright yellow colour with hue angle less than 90 deg while non-exposed fruit remained green with hue angle of 100 deg . The 48 h treatment resulted in 1.95-2.15% mass loss in ethylene-exposed and control fruits. Respiration rate increased from initial 35 to 80 mg CO2 kg- h- in ethylene-exposed fruits in 48 h and slowly declined after removal from ethylene atmosphere. Fruit firmness, juice content and total soluble solids and ascorbic acid remained unchanged with ethylene treatment but titratable acidity declined significantly (P < 0.05). Fruit rind degreening continued in treated and untreated fruits during storage at 24 plus or minus 4 deg C. The hue angle was almost similar at the end of 30 days in degreened and non-degreened fruits but intensity and brightness were lower in the latter. Polyethylene liner minimized mass loss during storage with no difference due to ethylene treatment (P > 0.05) but cumulative decay losses due to Geotrichum candidum were higher in non-degreened fruits (P < 0.05).