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Post–Harvest Management in Guava

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AGROBIOS NEWSLETTER Publishing Date: 01 March, 2019
rootstocks with high nutrient uptake efficiency,
adaptation to adverse soil and climatic conditions.
The improved rootstocks will help improve
the production and quality of the tropical and
55. HORTICULTURE 17719
Post–Harvest Management in Guava
Hemant Saini*1 and Sushma2
Department of Horticulture, CCS HAU, Hisar; 2Department of Seed Science and Technology, CCS HAU,
1
Hisar
*Corresponding Author e–mail: sainihemant721@gmail.com
Guava (Psidium guajava L.) belongs to family
Myrtaceae and bears delicious fruits in three
different seasons’ viz., summer, rainy and winter
crops. It is now being cultivated in many tropical
and subtropical regions of the world including
India, Brazil, Mexico, Florida, Hawaii, California,
Peru, Egypt, South
Africa, Algeria, Columbia, West Indies, China
and Malaysia. Guava fruit exhibits a climacteric
pattern of respiration and ethylene production.
Usually the fruits are harvested at different stages
of maturity depending on the situation. After
reaching the physiological maturity it ripens fast
in 1 or 2 days resulting in early senescence of the
fruit. Due to high moisture content and thin and
soft skin, guava fruits are subjected to higher rate
of transpiration, respiration, ripening and other
biological activities, even after harvest, which
deteriorate the quality of the fruits in a short period
and finally make them unmarketable. Moreover,
due to lack of proper infrastructure facilities and
post harvest management measures, about 20–30
per cent of the produce gets spoiled, causing heavy
economic losses. These losses mostly occur during
chain of post harvest practices like harvesting,
handling, storage, transportation, processing, etc.
By adopting proper post harvest management
practices these losses can be minimized, thereby
increasing the availability of fresh fruit for
consumption as well as processing. The processing
of guava in the country is almost negligible in
comparison to fruit production. Use of latest
preservation techniques and observing sanitation
principles may be an effective tool for improving
the quality of the products.
Horticultural Maturity Indices
Harvest stage depends on variety and the stage
at which fruit are to be eaten. If eaten green, fruit
should be harvested at the mature, firm stage
without any signs of ripening. Fruit to be consumed
soft and ripe are harvested when they show some
sign of color change from green to yellow, as well
as initial softening. Later harvesting, when fruit
are riper, can lead to a high number of fruit fly
stings and later larvae in the flesh. SSC can vary
from 3% in green fruit to > 10% in ripe fruit, and
the TA from 0.2 to 1.5%; cultivars vary greatly in
sweetness and acidity. There is seasonal variation
in acidity in some cultivars.
VOL. NO. XVII, ISSUE NO. 10 79
subtropical fruits and increase the sustainability
and competitiveness of fruit production by
decreasing the production costs.
Harvesting
Guava is climacteric in nature and should be picked
when it is mature but firm. Picked at the right stage
of maturity, fruits on ripening give excellent taste
and flavour, characteristic of particular cultivar.
The seedling if guava comes into bearing very late
i.e. after 5–6 years of planting. However, the grafted
or air–layered plants are precocious in bearing
and first crop appears at the age of 2 to 3 years.
Individual fruits are picked when they are still hard
and firm at regular intervals.
Grading
The fruits are mostly graded as per the size and
colour. Fully ripened fruits, which are yellow
in colour, are immediately sent to the market.
Commonly shipped in 4.5 kg (10 lb) single–layer
cartons with foam sleeves or wrapping to prevent
injury.
Grade Specification and Distribution
of Guava Fruits cv. Sardar
Specification of Distribution Fruit weight
Grade
grade (diameter) (%) (g)
A Large–sized 12.0 182
(6.6–7.0 cm)
B Medium–sized 60.0 143
(6.2–6.6 cm)
C Small–sized 28.0 104
(5.0–6.2 cm)
Packaging
The fruits should preferably be packed in corrugated
fiber board cartons of sizes ranging from 4–10 kg
or in bamboo baskets of different sizes. Positioning
of guava fruit in the natural posture with pedicel
end vertically upward may result in better keeping
quality as compared with fruits kept in reverse or
horizontal position. For local markets the fruits are
packed in bamboo baskets. As padding material
neem leaves or dried grass is used.
Optimum Storage Conditions
Mature green and partially ripe fruit can be held
for 2 to 3 weeks at 8 to 10°C (46 to 50°F). Ripe, soft
fruit can be held about 1 week at 5 to 8°C (41 to
46°F) temperature and 90 to 95% relative humidity.
Shelf–life is about 7 days when stored at 20°C
(68°F).
Publishing Date: 01 March, 2019 AGROBIOS NEWSLETTER
Controlled Atmosphere Storage (CAS)
Short–term treatment (24 h) with 10% O₂ + 5%
CO₂ before storage in air at 4°C (39°F) for 2 weeks
delays color development and reduces chilling
injury, compared to fruit held in air. MAP in
polyethylene bags and use of wax coatings delays
ripening/softening. Skin blackening is a problem
when some wax coatings are applied.
Ethylene Production and Sensitivity
Rates vary from 1 to 20 μL/kg/h at 20°C and show
a climacteric pattern of respiration. Rates vary
with variety and stage of ripeness. Ripening is
56. HORTICULTURE 17726
Role of Potassium in Potato
Bambharoliya Nehalben Gopalbhai
MSc. (Agri), Department of Soil Science and Agricultural
Chemistry, C.P.C.A., SDAU, Dantiwada (Gujarat)
Introduction: Potato is the world’s most important
vegetable crop. India is the second largest producer
of potato next to China. Total area of potato in
India is 21.17 lakh hectares with the production of
465 lakh tonnes. Gujarat ranks first in productivity
of potato. Major potato growing districts in Gujarat
are Banaskantha, Mahesana, Kheda, Ahmedabad,
Sabarkantha, Baroda and Gandhinagar. Among
these Banaskantha district has the highest
production (49%) of potato.
Potassium ions are an essential component
of plant nutrition. It is 8th most abundant element
in the earth. It is necessary for both plants and
animals. It is required by the plants in relatively
larger quantity. Most of soils contain high amount
of K, but only small part of soil potassium is directly
available to plants. Potash contents in various
fertilizer is expressed as K2O and it is an important
element for enhancing starch, sugar, specific
gravity, dry matter of tuber, number of tubers, total
number of tubers and tuber yield. Plants absorb
potassium in ionic form, K+. The potassium content
in most of plants ranges from 0.5 to 2.0%.
Luxury consumption: Characteristic of Potassium
The absorption of potassium from soil by a crop
in excess than crop needs is known luxury
consumption. This results in an accumulation of
the potassium in the plant without reflecting an
increase in growth and hence called uneconomical.
Percentage and Forms of Potassium in Soil
Portion of total K Forms of K
0.1 to 2 per cent Exchangeable K+ and Soil solution K+
1 to 10 per cent Clay minerals (Illitic types)
90 to 98 per cent Potassium containing minerals
(Micas, Feldspars, etc.)
Different Forms of Potassium in Soils
1. Readily available potassium
2. Slowly available potassium
80 VOL. NO. XVII, ISSUE NO. 10
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accelerated by exposure to ethylene (100 ppm,
24 h). Immature fruit do not ripen properly and
develop a “gummy” texture.
Processing
Jelly, jam, pulp concentrate, juice, cheese,
toffee, dehydrated and canned guavas are some
conventional products which can be made
from fresh guava fruit thus, reducing the post
harvest losses. CISH, Lucknow has developed
cider, probiotic guava drink, vinegar, beverages,
soup, ketchup etc, from guava. Functional food
ingredient including pectin, dietary fiber, lycopene
were extracted from pink guava fruits.
3. Unavailable potassium
Potassium Bearing Minerals in Soil
Potassium bearing minerals are Orthoclase
[(K, Na)AlSi3O8 ], Microcline [ (Na, K) AlSiO4
], Muscovite–mica [KAl3Si3O10(OH)2], Biotite
[K(Mg, Fe)3AlSi3O10(OH)2], Phlogopite
[KMg3AlSi3O10(OH)2].
Based on the amount of available potash
in soil, Soil can be rated as follows:
4. Low: < 140 kg K2O/ha
5. Medium: 140–280 kg K2O/ha
6. High: > 280 kg K2O/ha
Potassium Losses from Soil
Leaching losses: Depends upon quantity and
intensity of rainfall. Annual leaching loss of K
from the soils in a humid region under agricultural
production is usually about 25 to 50 kg K/ha.
Considerable K may be lost by leaching due to
heavy rains.
Management Practices for Potassium
The best strategy would be to apply potassic
fertilizers as basal. Any potassium needed for small
grain production can be applied in a band near the
seed at planting or broadcast and incorporated in
soil before planting. When applied in a band, the
recommended broadcast rate of potash can be
reduced by one–half without causing a reduction
in yield. Potassium spray is also becoming popular
among farmers in high potassium responsive crops
and also in vegetables and floriculture.
Importance of Potassium in Potato
1. Potassium increases yield, proportion of
marketable tubers, tuber size, chips colour,
resistance to frost and drought in potato.
2. It decreases incidence of diseases (late blight),
internal blackening, hallow heart, Better N use
efficiency and storage losses.