Department of Horticulture, Gujarat Agricultural University, Navsari Campus, Navsari 396 450
*Present address: Horticulture Section, College of Agriculture, Kolhapur 416 004
The experiment was conducted to study the post-harvest losses in sapota fruits in different packages after road transportation (630 km) to the distant markets with subsequent storage. The paddy straw as cushioning in wooden crates resulted in higher losses due to rotting, physiological weight loss and over-ripening with least marketability and organoleptic qualities. Prepackaging of fruits in polyethylene bag reduced the physiological weight loss considerably. The fruits packed in polyethylene lined CFB cartons had better shelf-life and marketability with higher organoleptic values. The total post-harvest losses after transportation and storage were 10–16% irrespective of packages in which physiological weight loss was the major one.
