Effect of Different Storage Materials on Ripening and Post-Harvest Quality of Avocado (persea, amerrican M) at Wolaita Sodo University, Ethiopia

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in 2017 academic year at Wolaita Sodo University College of Agriculture Department of Horticulture laboratory class to test the effect of different storage facilities on ripening and quality of avocado (per sea amereca.) fruit of locally available variety. The treatments were established in four different storage facilities which are locally available materials i.e., (T1=Avocado fruit stored on open ground, T2= Avocado fruit covered with enset leaves, T3=Avocado fruit covered with plastic sheet and T4= Avocado fruit covered with carton). The experiment was laid out in CRD with three replications. Mature green avocado fruits were selected and stored by covering with above facilities, then allowed to ripe in the ambient condition of the study area. The result has shown all the storage facilities with differences on color, aroma, flavor, shape, and size, sugar, presence of defect, shelf life, decay percentage and marketable fruits on the responses of the respondents. The fruits stored or covered by plastic sheet as storage facilities have observed to provide all respondents preferred excellent to marketable skin color, aroma, flavor, shape, size, sugar, defect, marketable, and sweetness and lesser physiological weight loss. Next to plastic sheet carton storage facilities showed highest number of the respondent preferred fair.

Keywords: Packaging materials, Avocado, Shelf-life and quality