Response of different maturity stages of sapota (Manilkara achras Mill.) cv. Kallipatti to in-package ethylene absorbent
Sapota fruits are highly perishable due to their climacteric nature. The rapid softening of fruits is primarily due to high activity of many oxidative enzymes and liberation of ethylene. Harvest maturity plays a crucial role in deciding the marketability of climacteric fruits in general. Attempt has been made to evaluate the response of ethylene absorbent on variable maturity groups of harvested Sapota cv. Kallipatti with the objective to delay the ripening during transit and extend its marketability during storage at ambient condition (27–32 °C & 65–75% R.H.). Harvested fruits having three different degree of ripeness (as maturity indices viz. mature, half-ripe and ripe) were packed with or without ethylene absorbent sachets (Bioconservación, France) in 10 kg CFB boxes and transported from Dahnu to Delhi covering a distant of approximately 2500 KM by truck on road along with conventional packaging as control. The fruits were evaluated immediately on arrival at Delhi and subsequently during storage for various physical, physiological, biochemical and decay parameters. Mature fruits with ethylene absorbent exhibited maximum delay in ripening, low ethylene liberation, weight loss and high fruit firmness. The response of ethylene absorbent to extend the marketability of ripe fruit was not significant.
Use of ethylene scavenger sachet in modified atmosphere packaging to maintain storage stability of khalal date fruit
Among different physiological stages of development, the fruit of many date palm cultivars is harvested at Tamar stage. But for some cultuvars, which have low tannin content, fruit can be harvested and consumed at khalal stage when it is crispy in texture and sweet in taste. Due to have an active metabolism and high water content, storage and marketing of khalal date is limited by skin wrinkling and quick incidence of soft brown spots (SBS). This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different packaging methods (control, passive MAP, MAP + ethylene scavenger sachet) and then storing at 5 or 15°C on the quality of khalal date fruit cv. barhee. During 27 days of storage, fruit were analysed in three day intervals and evaluated for different quality parameters, including flesh firmness, weight loss, titratable acidity, total soluble solids (TSS), incidence of SBS, electrolyte leakage and surface colour. MAP treatment with ethylene scavenger sachets was found to be effective in lowering weight loss (0.42%) and SBS (35%) and maintaining tissue firmness. Furthermore, other quality parameters experienced low changes in this treatment. Among the two storage temperatures, fruit which held at 5°C, remained firmer and showed superior in quality than those stored at 15°C.
Respiration and Ethylene Production in Fruits of Species and Cultivars of Psidium and Species of Eugenia1

Fruits of 4 species and cultivars of guava (Psidium guaiava L. cv. Beaumont, P. cattleianum Sabine, P. cattleianum f. lucidum Degener, and P. guajava L. cv. Allahabed Safeda) were found to be climacteric in their respiratory behavior with C2H4 triggering the respiratory rise. Fruits of 4 species of Eugenia (Eugenia malaccensis L., E. cumini (L.) Druce, E. uniflora L., and E. jambos L.) exhibited typical respiratory behavior of nonclimacteric fruits including the response to exogenous C2H4 treatments. The possibility of using respiratory data as a physiological tool for taxonomic differentiation of plants is discussed.