Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 5.2. Relationship between respiration rate and postharvest life of tropical fruits
held at their optimum storage conditions (Paull, 1994).
banana, 10-12°C for papaya, 8°C for rambutan and 5°C for carambola (Fig.
5.3). Lowering the temperature further leads to a shorter storage life, but the
limitation changes from being fruit ripening to the development of chilling
injury, as ripening is completely inhibited. Recommendations for optimum
storage of most tropical fruits are just inside the chilling range (8-12°C),
as this allows ripening to be controlled, and, if removed before the chilling
stress threshold is exceeded, the fruit still has a number of days of useful
marketing life as it ripens. Unfortunately, similar data are not available
or are fragmentary for many other tropical fruits. The actual relationship
between storage temperature and duration can vary with cultivar, preharvest
conditions, the stage of ripeness and postharvest treatments.
Moisture loss
Frequently, injury induced by water loss is confused with chilling injury.
Water loss by tropical fruit postharvest is dependent upon the commodity,
cultivar, preharvest conditions, vapour pressure defi cit, wounds, postharvest
heat treatments and the presence of coatings or wraps. Tropical fruits can
be grouped as to water moisture loss rate, from low (coconut) to medium
 
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