Effect of Different Surface Coatings on Shelf Life and Quality of Guava (Psidium guajava L.) CV. Allahabad Safeda

Aims: To evaluate the potentiality of surface coatings for achieving extended shelf life with enhance fruit quality attributes in Guava under ambient storage condition. Study design: The lab experiment conducted in complete randomized design three replications on Allahabad safeda of Guava. Place and duration of study: The experiment was conducted during November 2019 at College of Horticulture, Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad. Methodology: Guava freshly harvested fruits were coated with three Surface coatings viz. Aloe vera (12.5%, 25% & 50%), Chitosan (0.5%, 1.0% & 1.5%), citric acid (1%, 2% & 3%). The coated fruits were stored at ambient room condition. Periodically effects of surface coatings were observed for physiological loss in weight, Shelf Life (days), Firmness (Kg/cm 2), Total Soluble Solids (%), Titrable Acidity (%), Ascorbic Acid (mg/100g), Total Sugars (%), Reducing Sugars (%), Non-Reducing Sugars (%). Results: Surface coating physical parameters, fruits treated with T5-Chitosan (1%) showed minimum physiological loss in weight during storage, and least decay percentage. Among the treatments, highest shelf life (9.98 days), highest firmness (2.76 kg/cm2) was recorded in T5-Chitosan (1%) which was on par with T2-Aloe vera (25%) (9.67 days & 2.71 kg/cm2) while lowest shelf life was recorded in T10-Control (6.45 days). Among the treatments, T5- Chitosan (1%) recorded highest TSS (10.33 oB), highest ascorbic acid content (122.32 mg/100g), highest total sugar content, reducing sugar and least non reducing sugar content (9.72%, 6.02% & 2.84%) respectively followed by T2-Aloe vera 25% while least was noticed in T6-Chitosan 1.5% on 10th day of storage. Conclusion: surface coating of Chitosan1% substantially improved the shelf life with retaining better fruit quality attributes under ambient conditions.