Effect of Certain Post Harvest Treatments on Physiological and Biochemical Changes and Storage Quality of Guava (Psidium guajava L.) cv. ‘Allahabad Safeda’ and ‘L – 49’

To control any undesirable physiological and biochemical changes and by minimizing the post harvest losses, an experiment was conducted using two varieties Allahabad safeda and L-49, two cooling treatments and five chemicals along with control. All fruits were stored at ambient temperature in well ventilated polythene bag (200 gauges). Variety Allahabad safeda gave the minimum weight loss and rotting fruits and maintained higher storage quality as compared to variety L 49. Pre-cooling treatment helped in maintaining the fruit firmness, delayed ripening, tended to reduce the weight losses and also maintained desirable quality like sugars, acidity and vitamin-C in the fruits. Chemical treatments KMnO₄ 10 g kg⁻¹ fruits and CCC 1000 ppm were effective in reducing the weight loss, delaying the ripening, maintaining the colour and fruit firmness and also delaying the physico-chemical changes during storage. Benomyl 250 ppm was best for controlling the rotting of guava fruits. Variety Allahabad safeda and L-49 with pre-cooling treatment and with chemical treatment CCC 1000 ppm and KMnO₄ 10 g kg⁻¹ fruits showed promising result in delay ripening and also delay physiological and biochemical changes during storage period