EFFECT OF PRESERVATIVES AND PACKAGING ON POSTHARVEST QUALITY AND SHELF LIFE OF MANGO

Abstract

An experiment was conducted on the aspect of quality and shelf life of mango through postharvest preservatives and packaging. This study was carried out at the Postharvest laboratory of Department of Horticulture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design. Seven postharvest preservative treatments and two postharvest packaging, total 14 treatments combination were used in the present study. Different postharvest preservative treatments were T : Control (without preservative), T 1 : 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) dips, T : chitosan dips, T 3 : calcium chloride dips, T : 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) dips + chitosan dips, T 5 4 : 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) dips + calcium chloride dips, T 6 : calcium chloride + chitosan dips. Two postharvest packaging: P : With perforated LDPE packaging and P : Without packaging were used. Results revealed that the lowest weight loss was found in T 0 treatment (3.78%, 5.45%, 7.05%, 8.78% and 10.50% at 3 rd , 6 th , 9 th , 12 th 4 and 15 th days after harvest, respectively) with the lowest disease incidence (%) and slower ethylene release rate (1.94 ppm/hr., 3.94 ppm/hr. and 8.17 ppm/hr. at 3 th , 6 th and 9 days after harvest, respectively) compare to other treatments. The longest shelf life (18 days) was recorded in T 4 P treatment combination. The better performance was observed in mangoes when treated with postharvest 1-methylcyclopropene (1MCP) dips

+ chitosan dips and postharvest packaging with perforated LDPE bags for long term storage