INFLUENCE OF LOW TEMPERATURE ON SHELF LIFE AND QUALITY OF SAPOTA (MANILKARA ACHRAS (MILL.) FOSBERG) FRUITS PACKED IN POLYBAGS

An experiment was set up to study the effect of packaging of sapota fruits in polythene bags with ventilation on the postharvest shelf life and quality under low temperature at the Horticultural College and Research Institute, Venkataramannagudem. Mature fruits of ‘Kalipatti’ were stored at 12±1°C (80-85% RH) in LDPE bags with different gauges (100, 200, 300 gauges) and three different ventilations (0.8, 1.2, and 1.6%). The study revealed that fruits stored in polybags had a better quality and longer shelf life. The fruits stored in 200 gauge polybags with 1.2% ventilation recorded a maximum shelf life of 31.83 days and higher quality in terms of fruit firmness (2.1 kg/cm²), organoleptic score (9.93), TSS (20.11°Brix), ascorbic acid (22.34 mg/100 g), titratable acidity (0.23%), reducing sugars (8.21%) and total sugars (12.31%). Physiological loss of weight (PLW), rate of ripening, and fruit decay were maximum in control (1.05, 40.09, 55.0%). The longer shelf life and better quality of fruits in polybags was due to the reduced permeability of the polybags for oxygen and accumulation of carbon dioxide coupled with low temperature and the resultant retarded respiration rate, delayed onset of ripening and slowed the activity of enzymes that degrade the cell wall.