Postharvest Management of Kinnow (Citrus reticulata Blanco) Mandarin to Extend Shelf Life

Pakistan is the sixth largest producer of Kinnow mandarin in the world. Significant postharvest losses (35-40%) limit the enormous market potential of this fruit crop. The Kinnow will be studied for crop seasons 2003-04 and 2004-05 to extend the shelf life. The fruit will be divided into three lots. One lot will be coated with shellac based wax (SBW), other with polyethylene based wax (PBW) and third will be untreated (control). The fruit will be stored at four different temperatures i.e., 2, 5, 8 °C and ambient (room temperature) for four months. Relative humidity between 85 to 90% will be maintained in the cold chambers during the whole storage period. The Fruit will be analyzed for physical tests i.e. physiological loss in weight (PLW), percent peel pitting (PP) and percent coating fracture (CF). The Fruit will also be analyzed for various chemical characteristics like, ethanol, acetaldehyde, ascorbic acid, total sugars, acidity and total soluble solids(TSS) contents to assess the biochemical changes in the fruit. The Pesticide residues will be determined in the peel, pulp and fruit juice through HPTLC and HPLC. Sensory evaluation of the fruit will be carried out after 15 days interval until the acceptable quality of the fruit. Finally the data will be statistically analyzed by using generalized linear model (GLM) to determine level of significance of different treatments. The objective of the present study will be to extend the shelf life of Kinnow by low temperature storage through wax coatin