Effect of wrapping and packaging materials on fruit rot of guava (Psidium guajava Linn.)

Abstract

In the present study, wrapping and packaging materials were evaluated for their capacity to decrease the decay losses of guava fruits during storage under ambient conditions (18-22OC and 75-80% RH) at Tej Narayan Banaili College, T.M. Bhagalpur University, Bhagalpur during the year 2014-2016. Results revealed that post-harvest decay loss can be minimized significantly through proper wrapping or packaging of fruits for storage. Fruits wrapped with heat-shrinkable low density polyethylene film (LDPE, 25 µm thick), or packed up to 30 days of storage in corrugated fibre board (CFB) boxes exhibited low decay losses of 11.9 and 22.8 per cent, respectively. In general, the fruit loss due to fungal attack increased with increasing duration of storage. Altogether 7 fungal species were found associated with rotten fruits during the storge. Botryodiplodia theobromae, was the most prominent post-harvest rotting agent causing 37.5% fruit loss. Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Pestalotia psidii and Alternaria alternata showed 30.8, 25.5 and 16.8% fruit decay losses, respectively. Aspergillus niger (10.6%) Penicillium expansum (7.0%) and Rhizopus stolonifer (4.5%) caused least per cent decay losses of guava fruits.