COMPARISON OF PLANT EXTRACTS AND COMMERCIAL FUNGICIDE TO REDUCE THE FRUIT DECAY AND MAINTAIN THE QUALITY OF KINNOW FRUIT DURING COLD STORAGE.

The Kinnow is the extensively cultivated variety of citrus fruit and a common name of mandarin (Citrus reticulate L.) in Pakistan. Being a non-climacteric fruit, it keeps low storage life even in cold storage, because some physiochemical changes may lose its quality. The current study was planned to check the efficacy of plant extracts in comparison with commercial fungicide to enhance the storage life of Kinnow mandarin. Findings regarding the comparison of plant extracts and fungicide (Thiabendazole) indicated that 60% Aloe vera extract showed similar results as synthetic fungicide (TBZ) and controlled fruit decay up to 6.25%. The fruits of same treatment also showed better biochemical characteristics of fruit quality after storage of 90 days. The minimum changes in juice weight, TSS, titratable acidity and ascorbic acid were recorded in Aloe vera extract treated fruits. Fruits coated with 60% Aloe vera extract also maintained higher levels of total phenolic (225.7 mg GAE 100g- 1), antioxidant (76.3%) and enzyme activities of catalase (19.1 mg^-1 protein), peroxidase (0.80 mg^-1 protein), and superoxide dismutase (130.4 mg^-1 protein) during storage. It was evaluated that 60% Aloe vera extract proved valuable for long term storage of Kinnow mandarin and to minimize the rotting of fruit during storage and its performance was almost at par to commercial fungicide and maintained the fruit quality related parameters. Hence it can be recommended to overcome the storage issues of Kinnow fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]