STUDY ON EFFECT OF DIFFERENT PACKAGING MATERIALS ON QUALITY OF GUAVA (PSIDIUM GUAJAVA L.) TO EXTEND SHELF LIFE.

The present investigation was carried out at Post Graduate Laboratory of Department of Horticulture, School of Agriculture, ITM University Gwalior (M.P.) during the year 2022-2023. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different packaging materials viz. newspaper, tissue papers, gunny bag, CFB Box, banana leaf, butter paper and paddy straw at room temperature (9.98°C - 25.99°C) on shelf life and physio-bio-chemical characteristics of Guava fruit. Data pertaining to the studies on different types of packaging material to extend shelf life of guava at i.e., 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 days on bio-chemical changes of guava. The maximum fruit weight was observed in T₄(CFB Box) i.e., 122.44 gm and minimum was observed in T₀(Control) on 3^rd day of trial, Maximum physiological loss in weight was found in T₁(Newspaper) 18.31% and minimum PLW was found in T₄(CFB Box) 119.39 gm and minimum was observed in T₀(Control) on 3^rd day of trial, Maximum physiological loss in weight was found in T₀(control) 18.31% and minimum PLW was found in T₄(CFB Box) 1.36% on 6^th day of experiment, maximum specific gravity was measured on 12^th day of experiment was in T₄(CFB Box) i.e., 1.05 g/ml³ and minimum was measured in T₃(Gunny bag) 1.00 g/ml³ land T₅(Banana leaf) 1.00 g/ml³. The bio-chemical parameters was taken for the experiments are TSS, Acidity and Ascorbic acid. The maximum TSS was found in T₃(Gunny bag) 12.80 °Brix and minimum was recorded in T₀(Control) 7.10 °Brix at the 9^th day of storage, maximum acidity was found in T₄(CFB Box) 0.44% and minimum was found in T₀(Control) 0.26% at the 12^th day of storage, maximum Ascorbic acid was found in T₄(CFB Box) 197.17 mg/100g and minimum was found in T₀(Control) 181.10 mg/100g at the 15^th day of storage. After all the physical and bio-chemical analysis done from 0 to 15 days of experiment the result reveled that T₄(CFB Box) was found statistically best over all other packaging materials till the 15^th day of shelf life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]