Beeswax Coating Loaded with Putrescine to Enhance the Quality and Shelf Life of Guava Fruit cv. Allahabad Safeda

The present investigation was conducted in Department of Agriculture, Khalsa College, Amritsar during 2021-22. The fruits were harvested and treated with beeswax 5 % + putrescine 1 mM, beeswax 5 % + putrescine 2 mM, beeswax 5 % + putrescine 3 mM, beeswax 10 % + putrescine 1 mM, beeswax 10 % + putrescine 2 mM and beeswax 10 % + putrescine 3 mM while control fruits were dipped in plain water. All the treated and control fruits were packed in corrugated fibre boxes (CFB) and stored at ambient condition as well 95 % RH for 15 days. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design replicated thrice. The fruits from each treatment were analyzed for physico-biochemical characteristics at an interval of three days. The results revealed that physiological loss in weight, spoilage loss, TSS/TA and carotenoids of fruits increased with storage intervals whereas fruit firmness, TA, total phenols and chlorophyll ‘a’ and chlorophyll ‘b’ showed declining trend with the advancement of storage period. Other parameter like TSS showed an increasing trend at earlier stages of storage and later on start declining. The results reflected that beeswax @ 5 % + putrescine @ 3 mM showed a significant reduction in weight loss, spoilage loss and carotenoids while maintained highest firmness, TSS, titratable acidity, total phenol content, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b as compared to other treatments as well as uncoated fruit.