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The effects of modified atmosphere packaging, waxing, storage temperature (SC) and duration (3, 7, 11, 15, 19 and 23 days) on the keeping quality and chilling-tolerance of golden apple fruits were evaluated. The extreme susceptibility of golden apple fruits to chilling injury (CI) at 5C was evidenced by extensive pitting and fungal decay. Symptoms appeared after 11 days storage at 5C or after holding at 30C for 1 day after storage for 3 days at 5C. Waxing delayed the appearance of pitting in the above situations to 23 days and 15 days, respectively. Skin pitting developed in low density polyethylene (LDPE) packaged fruits after 19 days at SC and became more pronounced after holding at 30C for one day.Despite the symptoms observed, measurements of bioelectrical resistance and electrolyte leakage indicated that severe membrane damage had occurred by 7 days storage at 5C for all treatments. Therefore, bioelectrieal resistance and electrolyte leakage provided a measure of the onset of chilling injury prior to the appearance of CI symptoms. Changes in fresh weight losses, a reliable indicator of CI in some commodities, did not prove to be so in this case.

The effects of post-harvest application of gibberellic acid on dormancy of tubers of Dioscorea alata and D. esculenta were examined. In both species, gibberellic acid extended the dormancy of immature and mature tubers but when GA 3 application was made after storage for varying lengths of time, there was a decreasing effect with increased storage time. Dormancy was also reinduced in germinating tubers, that had gone through a normal dormant period, as a result of gibberellic acid treatment. A possible mechanism of dormancy in tropical yams is discussed. It is concluded that use of gibberellic acid as a means of extending the storage life of yam tubers by post-harvest application is a distinct possibility.

Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) fruits were stored individually wrapped in low density polyethylene (LDPE) film or unwrapped for up to 21 days at 5-7C, 20-22C and 28-30C, respectively. Assessment was done on several quality parameters including marketable quality. Storage offilm-wrapped fruit at 5-7C resulted in extension of shelf-life in excess of two weeks and delayed appearance of chilling injury symptoms. Additionally, film-wrapped fruits stored at 5-7C were still marketable after 21 days, had lowest fresh weight losses, less softening, reduced incidence ofpostharvest rots and minimal changes in vitamin C content and pH. Storage of individually wrapped fruits at reduced temperatures therefore offers an effective method of prolonging the shelf-life of bitter gourd.