Effect of Harvest Time, Non-Toxic Treatments and Storage Temperature on Postharvest Life of Mexican Lime (Citrus aurantifolia L.)

In order to evaluate the effect of harvesting time, storage temperature and non-toxic treatments of Putrescine (Pu), salicylic acid (SA) and thyme and cloves essential oils (TEO and CEO) on qualitative and quantitative characteristics of Mexican lime fruit, a factorial completely randomized design experiment was performed. This experiment was conducted with three storage temperature levels including ambient temperature (22±3°C), 4±1 and 8±1°C, and the treatments including Pu (1, 2 and 3 mmol), SA (200, 400 and 600 mg/l), TEO and CEO (150, 300 and 450 mg/l) and distilled water as control treatment. The fruits were harvested in two stages including the maturity stage (early color change) and the ripening stage (yellow color) in four replications and 10 fruits in each replication. Effects of harvesting time, storage temperature and treatment type on fruit quality attributes were significant (p<0.01). It was found that the green harvesting stage is the best time for harvesting. It was further found that storing at temperatures above 4°C is the most effective temperature in increasing the postharvest life of Mexican lime fruits. It was also found that the 2 and 3 mmol Pu applications can be used to preserve and maintain the Mexican lime fruits.