Subedi G.D.¹ , Gautam D.M.² , Baral D.R.² , K.C. G.B.² , Paudyal K.P.¹ , Giri R.K.³

1 Nepal Agricultural Research Council, HRD, Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal
2 Nepal Agricultural Research Council, HRS, Rajikot, Jumla, Nepal
3 Tribhuvan University, IAAS, Kritipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Horticulture, 2016, Vol. 6, No. 26   doi: 10.5376/ijh.2016.06.0026
Received: 28 Nov., 2016    Accepted: 14 Dec., 2016    Published: 29 Dec., 2016

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Subedi G.D., Gautam D.M., Baral D.R., K.C.G.B., Paudyal K. P., and Giri R.K., 2016, Evaluation of Cushioning for Transportation of Apple Cultivars from Orchard to Collection Center, International Journal of Horticulture, 6(26): 1-9 (doi: 10.5376/ijh.2016.06.0025)

After harvesting, apple fruits experience a variety of loading conditions that potentially lead to mechanical damage and bruising, which reduce the quality and shelf life of the products. Studies were carried out at HRS, Rajikot, Jumla (for three consecutive years (2012-2014) to evaluate the effect of different cushioning materials for packaging and transportation of fruits of three cultivars of apple from orchard to collection centre, thereafter on storage. Fruits were harvested on 3rd week of September; healthy fruits of almost uniform size and shape were selected for the study. About 25 kg fruits were hold in conical bamboo baskets using different cushioning materials; transported to collection centre by porters on their back. Data on number of damaged fruits was recorded one day after transportation. Again, undamaged healthy 20 fruits from the same experiment were selected and stored in plastic crates under room condition for 3 months (11.8°C and 65% RH). The result revealed that during transportation maximum number of bruised fruits was recorded in Golden delicious (20.3%) while minimum in Red delicious (13.3%). With regard to cushioning materials, maximum number of bruised fruits (24.0%) was observed in bamboo basket without liner while minimum (11.3%) in grass liner. After three months of storage, maximum spoilage was observed in Golden delicious (16.8%) while minimum in Red delicious (10.1%). With regard to cushioning material, maximum spoilage (24.3%) was observed in bamboo basket without liner followed by plastic liner (14.4%) while minimum (7.2%) in grass liner. Highest physiological weight loss in storage was observed in Golden delicious (17.2%) and lowest in Red delicious (11.4%). Consumers overall acceptability was higher in Royal delicious at maturity stage and higher in Red delicious after storage. Therefore, grass and woolen shawl were identified as most effective cushioning materials during apple transportation from orchard to collection centre under Jumla condition.

Bruising; Spoilage; PWL; TSS; Firmness; TA; Starch index; Hedonic rating; Shrivel