Abstract:
A study was conducted to compare the effect of three shipping packages; traditional bamboo
baskets (BAMB), bulk on truck (BULK) and stackable plastic crates (SPC) and the effect of
fruit position in the package (bottom, middle, and top) on postharvest loss of mandarin (Citrus
reticulate Blanco.) fruits along the value chain. A 3x3 factorial experimental design in a completely
randomized design (CRD) was used to set up the trial. Harvested mandarin fruits were sorted
and the uniform undamaged fruits packed in SPCs, BAMB, and BULK packages. Fruits were
transported for 161km from Kikundi village in the Morogoro district through Chalinze to Sokoine
University of Agriculture (SUA). On arrival at SUA, fruits were held under simulated wholesale (3
days) and retail conditions until when at least 50% of the fruits were rated unmarketable. During
the study, fruits were evaluated for external and internal fruit quality including; proportion of
decays, weight loss, pulp temperature, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), SSC/
TA, and Ascorbic acid. Results show a significant interaction between (i) shipping-packages and
fruit position with respect to fruit pulp temperature and cumulative decay and (ii) storage time in
terms of juice volume, SSC, TA, SSC/TA, and ascorbic acid. For fruit in SPC, decays was higher
on fruits at top than at the middle and bottom of the package. SPC reduced fruit decay by 7.9%
or 5.1% than those packed in BAMB or BULK, respectively. Mandarin fruits in SPC and BAMB
particularly at the middle and bottom of SPC and BULK experienced lower pulp temperature than
those at the top of packages. Fruit internal quality; soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity
(TA), and ascorbic acid (ASC) changed only with storage duration. The study recommends use of
SPC for reducing fruit decays, and for slowing fruit pulp temperature rise during shipping. Further
study is recommended to establish the cost benefit of SPC over BAMB and BULK packaging as a
means to enhance its adoption.
