EFFECT OF POST HARVEST TREATMENTS, PACKAGING MATERIALS AND STORAGE CONDITIONS ON SHELF LIFE AND QUALITY OF OKRA

NIKETA PATEL¹, N.L. PATEL², S.L. SANGANI³*
¹Department of Post-Harvest Technology, ASPEE College of Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, 396 450, Gujarat
²Department of Fruit Science, ASPEE College of Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, 396 450, Gujarat
³Department of Post-Harvest Technology, ASPEE College of Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, 396 450, Gujarat
* Corresponding Author : sandeep_sangani@yahoo.com

Received : 02-09-2016     Accepted : 18-09-2016     Published : 30-10-2016
Volume : 8     Issue : 52       Pages : 2601 - 2605
Int J Agr Sci 8.52 (2016):2601-2605

Keywords : Okra, Packaging materials, Post-harvest treatment, Storage conditions Shelf life
Academic Editor : Sharma Pratibha
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : None declared
Author Contribution : None declared

The present experiment was conducted at Department of Post-Harvest Technology, ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry, N.A.U., Navsari, Gujarat. The whole course of study was divided in two experiments. The first experiment was conducted by using different post-harvest dipping chemicals and the second experiment consisted of three packaging materials and three storage conditions. The results of first experiment revealed that the okra fruits dipped in citric acid 500 ppm + sodium benzoate 100 ppm (T8) proved to be the best with respect to maximum shelf life, higher marketable fruits with excellent general appearance of fruits. This treatment was used for experiment second. The second experiment indicated that when the okra fruits packed in LDPE bags of 50 micron thickness with 5% vents and stored at 120C temperature with 95% RH individually as well as in combination had extended the shelf life up to 16 days with maximum ascorbic acid and moisture content also with minimum PLW, TSS and lesser disease incidence. This was followed by the okra fruits packed in same packaging and kept in zero energy cool chambers, which had extended the shelf life of okra fruits up to 12 days