Quality of pomegranate fruits as influenced by pre harvest bagging under hot arid climate

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of different bagging material on fruit quality and cracking in pomegranate which is severe problem under hot wild climate of Rajasthan. Pomegranate fruits of cv. Bhagwa were covered with different bagging material i.e. white paper bags, brown paper bags, butter paper bags, perforated transparent polyethylene bags, muslin cloth bags, mark in cloth bags, non woven fabric bags, shrink wrapping (cling film) and control without bagging. The fruits were covered in each treatment after two month of fruit set during September and data were recorded on different fruit physical and physico-chemical quality attributes. Among the treatments, perforated transparent polybags were significantly reduced fruit cracking (11.12%) as against control (25.20%). Perforated transparent polyethylene bags also resulted in highest marketable yield (4.72 kg/plant) followed by butter paper bags (4.00 kg/plant) as compared to lowest in con1rol (3.30 kg/plant). Improved bright red colour fruits was obtained in perforated transparent poly bags and shrink wrapping treatments, while in control fruits colour faded and tum light brown red due to sunscald and frost damage. The total soluble solids and TSS/acid ratio were significantly affected by fruit bagging material, while nonsignificant differences were observed in ascorbic acid, total sugar, reducing sugars and acidity of fruits. The maximum maturity index was recorded in perforated transparent polyethylene bags (35.82) followed by butter paper bags (31.91) as compared to minimum observed in control (25.12). Thus, preharvest fruit bagging of pomegranate not only improved marketable fruit yield and quality of fruits but also significantly reduced fruit cracking under hot wild climatic conditions.